FYI, Sprint recently released an announcement (attached below) concerning its testing of ATM and SONET. Also, Pacific Bell has been providing ATM service to a number of customers for several months. Any carrier that is not deploying ATM, or at least seriously investigating it, is taking a large risk when it attempts to compete for customers with multi-service requirements. George Clapp voice: 708-765-2360 fax: 708-765-3350 email: clapp@ameris.ameritech.com ****** Sprint unveils multimedia Test Track in Silicon Valley BURLINGAME, Calif,--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 1994--With all the hype surrounding the Information Superhighway, Sprint thinks it's time to lend some substance to the concept. The company Tuesday unveiled a privately funded "proving ground" for advanced computer hardware and software development that features some of the nation's leading information technology companies as participants. The Silicon Valley Test Track, a fiber-optic ring traversing Silicon Valley from San Francisco to San Jose, is being used to explore broadband multimedia applications evolving from the convergence of telecommunications and computer technologies. In addition to Sprint, other companies participating in the Test Track include Digital Equipment Corp., Hewlett-Packard, Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems, Tandem Computers Inc. and Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, also known as PARC. In addition, educational institutions, including Stanford University; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; and the Laguna Salada Union School District in Pacifica, Calif., are participating. The Test Track, which covers some 150 miles, is based on industry standards that will define the "super" in the Information Superhighway -- SONET and ATM. SONET, short for synchronous optical network, improves the transport performance and survivability of fiber-optic networks. ATM refers to asynchronous transfer mode, a new broadband switching technology that can accommodate any switching protocol at any speed, paving the way for voice, data and video signals to move at extremely high speeds. "There is far too much hype about the information superhighway, and not enough substance," said Marty Kaplan, Sprint's vice president for network design and engineering. "It's not a matter of 500 channels of TV in your home or being able to play `Doom' with somebody in China. It's about a whole new family of multimedia services that will change society profoundly." Kaplan cited two examples of applications already in early stages of development -- distance learning and telemedicine. Distance learning will make the best teachers and lesson material available to classrooms nationwide, live or from digital "video jukebox" servers. The same technology applied to medical practice will enable physicians to participate in diagnoses and to treat patients from thousands of miles away. "The Silicon Valley Test Track is a real world, live network that allows serious development and proof-of-concept work by all the companies involved," Kaplan added. "These companies are developing hardware and software for multimedia applications well beyond what is commercially available today." Terry Kero, director of Sprint's Advanced Technology Laboratories, explained that Sprint's "no holds barred" approach on the Silicon Valley Test Track offers real flexibility and options to researchers. "We can change the rules for a given experiment, then change them back again to fully understand what we are seeing," he said. "You can't do that on a network carrying commercial traffic. The Test Track gives us a big field to play on, as compared to any one company working within the confines of a single laboratory." This arrangement offers advantages to Sprint and the participating companies, Kero said. "From our perspective, it does no good to have a network without traffic running on it," he said. "The participating companies give us that traffic, and we provide a facility they would have to pay millions to duplicate." Sprint has used the Test Track to evaluate SONET and ATM equipment now being deployed throughout its network. Initial development of the Test Track began last year when two companies were connected. The balance were connected this year. Participating companies can work alone or with each other on joint projects. With a waiting list of more than 20 companies, Kero expects the number of companies on the Test Track to increase in 1995. Projects for participating companies include: -- Digital Equipment Corp. -- ATM switching using Digital's AN2 switching equipment, and a telecollaboration experiment with other manufacturers that employs desktop videoconferencing. -- Hewlett-Packard -- ATM switching in a distributed desktop video teleconferencing environment. Hewlett-Packard already has demonstrated elements of this in a collaborative effort with Xerox PARC. The Test Track is the cornerstone of building an ATM infrastructure at HP Labs in Palo Alto, Calif. -- Silicon Graphics -- Broadband network management, ATM switching, and real-time collaborative development of animation, graphics, film and video over broadband; and intelligent networks for industries, including entertainment and advertising. -- Sprint -- Broadband network management with ATM switching over SONET rings, electronic provisioning, bandwidth-on-demand and distance learning using video server and set-top technology that converts digital transmission to analog television signals. -- Sun Microsystems -- Broadband network management, including security, capacity, billing, performance prediction and new ATM protocols. Sun also is developing a "digital money" system for managing telecommunications budgets that includes auctioning and bidding among employees for available bandwidth applications including distance learning, dynamic bandwidth allocation and network provisioning. -- Tandem -- Broadband network management, including security, capacity and performance. Tandem also will connect engineering and manufacturing centers as the test track becomes the hub of Tandem's Bay Area ATM infrastructure. -- Xerox PARC -- Signaling trials, demonstration of remote access to video and document file storage, distributed scanning and printing applications, test of authenticated signaling, ATM quality of service demonstrations, and inter-operation of a PARC-developed local area ATM switch called "BADLAN" with switches provided by Sprint and other participants. Sprint's Burlingame laboratory is the focal point for the Test Track. The lab's multi-vendor testing philosophy helps Sprint stay aware of the directions new technologies are taking, which vendors are producing the best equipment, and how to make equipment from diverse sources work together. For example, companies participating on the Test Track have access, through Sprint's lab, to ATM switches made by eight separate vendors, as well as SONET terminals from five manufacturers. "As networks and computers become homogeneous entities, interoperability becomes crucial to a company's survival," Kaplan said. "The leading information technology companies are placing increased emphasis on networking capabilities." The Burlingame lab has led the way for Sprint's successful introductions of technologies and services, including Signaling System 7, integrated services digital networks, speech recognition, intelligent network features, international network architectures, integrated messaging, broadband, ATM, SONET and SONET's international version, known as Synchronous Digital Hierarchy. Sprint is a diversified international telecommunication company with more than $11 billion in annual revenues and the United States' only nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network. Its divisions provide global voice, data and video products and services; local telephone services to more than 6.3 million subscribers in 19 states; and cellular services to 42 major metropolitan markets and more than 50 rural service areas. CONTACT: Sprint Jim Bowman, 913/967-3675 Torme & Kenney Diane LeGrand Hail, 415/956-1791