3Com Establishes New Wireless Strategic Alliances for Wi-Fi Hotspots Solutions




3Com Targets Wireless Hotspots in Hotels, Airport Terminals, Restaurants, Train Stations and Communities to Serve Up "Pay-As-You-Wi-Fi" Wireless Access to Customers


MARLBOROUGH, Mass., -/August 03, 2004 - Wi-Fi Technology News/- 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS) today announced that it has formed strategic alliances with leading gateway vendors to create effortless, plug-and-play solutions for Wi-Fi-certified wireless hotspots worldwide. The strategic alliance vendors' wireless products have passed interoperability testing with 3Com's wireless products to ensure smooth operation of complete hotspot systems.

The list of alliance vendors include: Aptilo Networks, IP3 Networks, Nomadix, PatronSoft, Pronto Networks and SolutionInc Limited. The prospect of new wireless hotspots, ideally suited for hotels, airport terminals, train stations, cafes and community centers, will also create new opportunities for system integrators within 3Com's channel partner program.

Through these new wireless alliances, 3Com will be able to provide a wider range of hotspot solutions. Whether a customer is seeking simple authentication for a wireless hotspot or enhanced roaming capabilities between different technologies, such as Wi-Fi and GPRS/UMTS networks, 3Com and the new strategic alliance vendors can provide tested and proven solutions. The new 3Com wireless hotspot program involves these new wireless strategic vendors who will combine their billing and authentication gateways and software with 3Com's wireless access points, Power over Ethernet technology and security devices to build new public wireless LANs (local area networks), better known as "hotspots."

"Two of the most important things that hotels, airports, cafes, train stations and shared community venues should consider before choosing and installing a wireless hotspot are interoperability and reliability of all the parts of the solutions," said Aaron Vance, Senior Analyst, Synergy Research Group. "Once interoperability and reliability have been verified across partners, the system integration required usually goes much smoother. Wireless hotspots don't need to be overcomplicated and, because of the emergence of new efficient integration, businesses can get new revenue streams and enhance customer experiences, whether with a cup of coffee, waiting for a flight, or checking an online reservation at a hotspot."

Angelo Lamme, product manager for 3Com, "We recently added features and functionality in our enterprise access points to streamline wireless access for hotspot deployments. For example, the 3Com Wireless Access Point 7250 has a lockable feature to prevent theft, supports Power over Ethernet and allows connectivity for various detachable antennas for flexible coverage and drop ceilings. We added specific hotspot features, such as support for multiple VLANs (up to 32 per radio), multiple SSIDs (up to 32 per radio module), and SSID to VLAN mapping in our latest firmware release. These features allow customers to support multiple virtual WLANs on a single access point - ideal for hotspot deployments."

Not only are they for enterprise applications or small-and-medium-sized business networks, but 3Com wireless solutions are also being used around the world for various hotspot deployments. For example, last year 3Com wireless access points were used at Wimbledon, the famous tennis tournament, and at the Edinburgh Festival in the UK to provide connectivity. Today, many hotels and other venues worldwide rely on 3Com's wireless technologies.

Strategic Alliance Vendors
Aptilo Networks
Aptilo Networks develops system solutions for management, control and billing of PWLAN (Public Wireless LAN) and provides Hotspot Managed Services to services providers such as operators and telcos. Aptilo solutions enable wireless Internet access at public venues, such as hotels, coffee shops, airports and conference centers. Our public WLAN solutions have been selected by well-known service providers around the world. More than four years of technology development has been invested in the creation of the Aptilo PWLAN Solution which is a feature-rich, flexible PWLAN solution that is carrier class and extremely scalable. The solution can be used for a variety of business models and supports a number of payment and authentication methods. Fortifying a leading position in the marketplace, Aptilo recently acquired Birdstep Technology's IP Zone software solution set, which had achieved 3Com certification prior to becoming a part of Aptilo. With installations in more than 30 countries on five continents, Aptilo is a leading player in its field.

IP3 Networks
IP3 Networks develops subscriber management software that service providers use to deliver broadband Internet access in public places such as airports, convention centers, hotels and wireless hotspots. IP3 provides a cost-effective, auto-provisioning and billing gateway at the edge that streamlines all deployment and operational needs. IP3 gateways enable auto-provisioning for plug-and-play access and acts as a traffic cop to control access, quality of service and billing. IP3 is unique in the way network administrators can setup multiple group policies for bandwidth control, billing and location-based content delivery. Designed by network engineers for network engineers, IP3 is one of the most robust platform with the richest feature set available.

Nomadix
Nomadix is a leading provider of public-access gateways and embedded software solutions for creating intelligent networks that deliver transparent, secure, high-speed Internet access to the mobile user - virtually anywhere throughout the world. The company is headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., with sales offices in Europe, China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. Nomadix sells and supports its products globally through OEM partnerships, value added resellers and systems integrators.

PatronSoft
Patronsoft is a fast-growing Wi-Fi hotspot management software company. FirstSpot -- its flagship product -- is the only Windows-based wireless gateway software deployed in more than 30 countries. Using a per-server-based licensing model, FirstSpot offers hotspot owners and operators a start-small-grow-fast solution.

Pronto Networks
Pronto Networks provides carrier-class Operations Support Systems (OSS) that enable operators to cost-effectively deploy, provision and manage large scale, public WLAN networks and deliver new services. The company's software provides the back-office functionality for hundreds of hotspots and hotzones worldwide. Pronto's solution enables operators to gain a quick time-to-market advantage, minimize deployment and ongoing operating expenses and create new value-added services. Pronto's OSS handles service provisioning, auto-configuration, authentication, access control, security, pre-paid and post-paid billing, location-based services, and roaming settlement for public Wi-Fi networks.

SolutionInc
SolutionInc is a leading provider of Internet software that allows travelers easy-to-use, reliable high-speed Internet access. Award-winning SolutionIPT? software simplifies high-speed Internet for the hospitality, travel and leisure, convention, education and resource industries. SolutionIPT? Enterprise makes it possible for multiple-building complexes to centrally manage the provisioning, maintenance, registration and billing of wired and Wi-Fi high-speed Internet services. Solution IPT? Enterprise Cable provides cable operators the ability to offer high-speed Internet to commercial markets, using existing cable infrastructure on a pay-per-use basis.

For more information about 3Com's wireless hotspot solutions and alliances, please visit http://www.3com.com/hotspots.

About 3Com Corporation
3Com is a leading provider of innovative, practical and high-value voice and data networking products, services and solutions for enterprises of all sizes and public sector organizations. For further information, please visit http://www.3com.com.