3Com Introduces CardBus Kit
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — July 30, 1997 — Top-of-the-line product bundle shows first benefits of market leaders merger
3Com Corporation (NASDAQ:COMS), the world's leading PC Card manufacturer, today announced its first combined mobile product since completing the 3Com/U.S. Robotics merger in June.
The new 3Com Fast EtherLink/Megahertz CardBus Kit offers users two of the highest performance mobile computing products available today, combined with a simple, unified installation and guaranteed compatibility with any CardBus notebook.
This powerful product combination takes advantage of 3Com's new market strengths to benefit mobile users who want the power of 10/100 networking while in the office, as well as the best modem performance available when dialing in from the road to access corporate Intranets, on-line services and the Internet.
The kit includes the latest x2 PC Card modem under the popular Megahertz(r) brand name, model XJ5560, and the 3Com Fast EtherLink(r) XL CardBus PC Card for Fast Ethernet connections, model 3C575-TX . This allows users to take advantage of the significant performance benefits of CardBus – a new 32-bit PC Card interface being offered in high-performance laptops that for the first time allows sufficient bandwidth for 100 Mbps networking. The kit also includes unique, new installation software which allows both cards to be used in the same laptop, solving compatibility problems that arise using CardBus 10/100 network interface cards (NIC) and PC Card modems in the same machine.
"Combining these two 'best of category' products, and having the ability to offer them from one source with a common installation and interface, is just the first example of the benefits our customers can expect from 3Com," said Rich Redelfs, vice president of marketing for the Mobile Communications Division. "CardBus allows Fast Ethernet adapters to operate at a full 100 Mbps, rather than the 20-30 Mbps maximum typical of the 16-bit PCMCIA interface, and thus is a significant advancement for mobile users. 3Com is the only company that can provide mobile users a high-performance, compatible communications solution for both local and remote network access."
Product Details
The 3Com Fast EtherLink/Megahertz CardBus Kit, model 3C575/XJ56, features the Megahertz XJ5560 – the industry's first x2 PC Card to combine cellular-direct and telephony features such as speakerphone, local caller ID service (where available), and digital answering machine capabilities. Using x2 technology, the industry's most extensively deployed 56Kbps modem technology, users can access the Internet, corporate Intranets and on-line connections over standard analog phone lines.
The XJ5560 also includes the exclusive XJACK(r) connector system and Digital Line Guard to protect the modem and computer circuitry from damage if connected to digital phone lines.
LAN connectivity is provided using the 3Com Fast EtherLink(r) XL CardBus PC Card – the world's fastest 10/100 Ethernet PC Card. The NIC takes advantage of Parallel Tasking(r) architecture for high throughput giving mobile CardBus users enhanced network performance with support for DynamicAccess(tm) features; support for 10Base-T and 100Base-TX networking; and Nway 10/100 auto-negotiation, automatically configuring the card to match the bandwidth of the network. In addition, the Fast EtherLink XL has the lowest power consumption in the industry.
The two-card solution uses a single, unified installation, providing quick set up and operation in popular operating environments, including Novell NetWare, Windows 95, Windows NT and Windows for Workgroups. In addition, 3Com guarantees compatibility between the cards in CardBus notebooks for up to one year after purchase.
Also included with the kit is the "x2 Delivers" program, giving customers a free upgrade to the 56K modem standard adopted by the ITU-T. Purchasers of the 3C575/XJ56 will also receive one month of free Internet service and an unconditional 30-day "satisfaction guaranteed" return policy.
The 3C575/XJ56 is available immediately and has a manufacturer's list price of $ 439. For sales information, customers can contact 3Com at 1-800-NET-3COM, or send e-mail to salesinfo@mhz.com.
3Com Corporation enables individuals and organizations worldwide to communicate and share information and resources at anytime from anywhere. As the world's preeminent supplier of data, voice and video communications technology, 3Com has delivered networking solutions to more than 100 million customers worldwide.
With global reach and local touch, the company gives enterprises, network service providers and carriers, small businesses and consumers the most comprehensive, innovative information access products and system solutions for building intelligent, reliable and high performance local and wide area networks. 3Com has worldwide revenues of more than $ 5.5 billion and employs approximately 13,500 people in 45 countries. For further information, visit 3Com's new World Wide Web site at http://www.3Com.com.
3Com, U.S. Robotics and Megahertz are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation.
CONTACT:
Barkley & Evergreen Public Relations
Jeff Xouris or Kara Woods, 816/842-1500
jxouris@bande.com or kwoods@bande.com
Jeff Edwards, Mobile Communications Division
801/320-7816
jedwards@mhz.com