3Com Delivers Enterprise-Class Gigabit Switching

3Com Delivers Enterprise-Class Gigabit Switching at Small-Business Prices

NEW ZEALAND – October 25, 2007 – 3Com Corporation, a leading provider of secure, converged voice and data networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes, today introduced new managed Gigabit switches that deliver large-enterprise performance and features at small-business prices.
        The new 3Com® Baseline Switch 2900 Plus Family and 3Com OfficeConnect® Managed Gigabit PoE Switch deliver voice-ready Layer 2 enterprise-class Gigabit switching with Power over Ethernet (PoE), advanced features for network control and flexibility and comprehensive security capabilities, all optimised for small and medium-sized businesses.  The new products are the latest examples of 3Com’s Secure Converged Networks strategy, where a single converged architecture enables all voice, video and data traffic to be managed effectively and intelligently over one secure network.
        Key benefits of the new switches include:

Out-of-the-box operation for organisations with limited or no IT support.
Auto-voice VLAN – which only 3Com offers – to automatically detect and connect any standards-based Internet Protocol (IP) phones.
Quality-of-Service prioritisation so voice calls always have sufficient bandwidth to ensure clarity.
Fast, Gigabit Ethernet performance for high-bandwidth applications such as video, IP security, ERP and CRM.
PoE models that eliminate the expense of installing electrical connections and enable remote wireless device control over the network.
The Baseline Switch 2900 Plus Family
        The Baseline Switch 2900 PlusFamily of rack-mountable switchesis available in 16-, 24- and 48-port models.  A24-port PoE version delivers data and power over the same cabling and powers devices such as IP phones, wireless access points and Web cameras.  Each switch also has four dual-purpose ports configurable as SFP-based fiber or standard copper to connect to high-performance computers, servers or network backbones.

"The Baseline Switch 2900 is another exceptional product from 3Com,” said Tim Ormrod, IT manager for Discover Leisure plc.  “It's a good, solid, full-functioned switch – reliable, easy to configure and simple to use – at a good price point.  It fits together perfectly with the voice-enabled network we are deploying at Discover Leisure.  For our business, prioritising and tracking voice traffic is an absolute must, and the 2900's VLANs were extremely straight-forward to set up.  In addition, I firmly believe that Power over Ethernet is the way to go, so the 2900 is perfect for our converged network.”

The OfficeConnect Managed Gigabit PoE Switch

        The OfficeConnect managed Gigabit PoE Switch is noiseless and compact, making it suitable for desktop deployment.  It is ideal for small businesses looking to deploy voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and wireless capabilities into their networks.  The OfficeConnect switch has 10 Power-over-Ethernet-enabled 10/100/1000 ports and a dual-purpose Gigabit port for connecting to high-performance computers, servers or network backbones.  The switch’s PoE capabilities provide power to a wide variety of attached devices using a single Ethernet cable, making it inexpensive to install and easy to manage.

        “The OfficeConnect Managed Gigabit PoE switch provides the Quality of Service we need to run voice traffic,” said Stephan Dalgar, senior network administrator, Ipswitch, Inc.  “The OfficeConnect switch is very easy to use and quiet, and it delivers excellent value.”

Easy Installation, Secure Operation

        The OfficeConnect Managed Gigabit PoE switch and the entire Baseline Switch 2900 Plus Family can be deployed right out of the box.  If custom configuration is needed, it can be done quickly and easily with the switches’ Web management interface, which provides an intuitive menu-driven process so even novice users can quickly and confidently configure the switch during initial setup and manage it during normal operation.

        The switches deliver high-level security with state-of-the-art login requirements and access control lists that enable acceptable use policies to be enforced via the switch at each point of access to the network.  All of its management communications feature powerful per-port HTTPS encryption, as well.

        “3Com is the industry leader in price-performance networking solutions that deliver enterprise-class performance at SMB prices,” said Bob Dechant, senior vice president and general manager, Data & Voice Business Unit for 3Com.  “No competitor offers the functionalityof the new Baseline 2900 Plus and OfficeConnect switches at such affordable prices.  These new switches are superb additions to our Secure Converged Networks portfolio of products, solutions and services that meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses through the largest enterprises.”

Pricing and Availability

        The OfficeConnect 10-port PoE switch has a U.S. list price of $495.
        U.S. list prices for the four Baseline Switch 2900 Plus models are:

16-port - $355
24-port - $495
48-port - $995
24-port with PoE - $1,195
        All models are available worldwide from 3Com’s authorised reseller partners.
About 3Com Corporation

3Com Corporation is a leading provider of secure, converged voice and data networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes.  3Com offers a broad line of innovative products backed by world-class sales, service and support, which excel at delivering business value for its customers.  3Com also includes H3C Technologies Co., Limited (H3C), a China-based provider of network infrastructure products.  H3C brings high-performance and cost-effective product development and manufacturing and a strong footprint in one of the world’s most dynamic markets.  Through its TippingPoint division, 3Com is a leading provider of network-based intrusion prevention systems that deliver in-depth application protection, infrastructure protection, and performance protection.  For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the media site www.3com.com/pressbox.

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