MIL 3, Inc. Introduces Wizard Design Tool For Ascend Communications, Inc.
Expanded Service Capability Enables Professional Services to Generate On-Site Network Designs for Ascend's Integrated Networking SolutionsWASHINGTON, D.C., October 21, 1998 -- MIL 3, Inc. today announced the introduction of its Wizard Design Tool for Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASND), the leader in wide area networking (WAN) solutions for providers and users of the public network. The Wizard application extends Ascend's professional services capabilities by fully automating the complex, time intensive process of generating customer solutions.
Taken by Ascend Global Integration Services consultants (GIS) to the customer site, the Wizard Design Tool rapidly constructs potential network topologies based on the existing customer requirements, identifies and graphically displays the most appropriate hardware solutions, determines configuration parameters and identifies component bill of materials.
"The Wizard Design Tool allows us to significantly cut the time it takes to evaluate a customer's existing network and make recommendations from many days to just a few hours at the customer location," said John DeRose, Director of Ascend GIS Professional Services. "What will be attractive to our customers is Wizard's ability to quickly consider multiple solutions by modifying network attributes and requirements. Not only is the turnaround time exponentially faster, but we can look at many more potential set-ups to ensure we provide the optimum solutions to our customers."
The core technologies in Wizard are derived from MIL 3 Inc.'s world-renowned OPNET line of network modeling software, first introduced in 1987. The industry pioneer in network simulation software, MIL 3's OPNET products are used by thousands worldwide to reduce costs and maximize resources associated with designing, planning and maintaining networks. Wizard leverages key components of OPNET's proven technology, including modeling, advanced visualization and automation techniques to bring sophisticated networking technology to the field professional services consultants in a simple to use and comprehensive package.
After the design, bill of materials and official proposal are automatically prepared by Wizard, proposed designs can be exported to Visio or NetViz for additional diagram work and HTML Web-based publishing. When the contract is awarded, the customer order can be submitted by Wizard via the Internet to the internal electronic order entry system and a confirmation receipt with order fulfillment information is provided to the customer. Ascend expects the new system to boost overall customer satisfaction by making services more personalized and faster than previously available.
"This tool allows us to expand our services to meet the complexities of voice over IP, VPN resources, and constringent service level agreements (SLAs). This is extremely important to more rapidly meet the demands of our customers' market place", said Michael Graham-Hyde, Ascend GIS Vice President of Services Marketing.
"Network planning has become an increasingly important part of gaining the strategic competitive advantage. By combining network design and planning processes in this tool, we are able to reduce the amount of time it takes to deliver the customer solution," said Marc Cohen, CEO, MIL 3. "With Wizard we are able to extend planning capabilities to the sales process itself to allow companies to more accurately purchase the network devices that will be most helpful to their organizations. Ascend's customers will find Wizard allows them to maximize their network resources by eliminating much of the guesswork involved in network construction and maintenance."
About MIL 3
MIL 3 is a rapidly growing developer of advanced software tools for communications network planning and design. Based in Washington, D.C., MIL 3 has been the world leader in providing state-of-the-art products for modeling and simulating communications networks since 1986. With its OPNET family of products, MIL 3 has provided more than 1,500 organizations of all sizes around the world with sophisticated tools to quickly and efficiently design or improve communications networks or components.
About Ascend Communications
Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASND) develops, manufactures, sells and services wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers and corporate customers worldwide. For more information about Ascend and its products, please send e-mail to info@ascend.com. For Investor Relations, please call our communications hotline at 800-648-3059 or 760-704-4423 (outside the US & Canada). Additional investor information can also be accessed on our Web site at: http://www.ascend.com/662.html.
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