[December 18, 2000]

2Wire Intros Complete DSL Voice And Data Networking Solution For SOHOs

2Wire, Inc., a provider of residential gateways, announced the 2Wire ICS 2000, a complete DSL voice and data networking solution for home, home office, and small business environments. The self-installable 2Wire ICS 2000 enables telephone and data services to be delivered simultaneously over a single DSL connection to multiple networked devices, including PCs and telephones, anywhere in the home.

"The 2Wire ICS 2000 delivers unsurpassed networking performance and flexibility for the rapidly-growing ranks of home offices, corporate telecommuters, and home-based and small businesses who are looking for solutions to help them maximize their investment in both equipment and services," said Brian Hinman, president and CEO of 2Wire. "Continuing to deliver innovative integrated broadband solutions, 2Wire now provides users with the power and features of a true business communications system in an affordable and easy-to-use system."

"2Wire continues to provide leading edge features and performance in consumer broadband solutions," said Karuna Uppal, market analyst for the Yankee Group. "The proliferation of networking and telephony options, combined with the growing number of people working at home in some capacity, is fueling the demand for sophisticated solutions that meet the communication needs of those who work out of their home or in small office environments. The 2Wire ICS 2000 system is one of the best solutions for these types of customers."

Representing the next generation of multi-service broadband products, the 2Wire ICS 2000 delivers data and voice connectivity by providing high-speed Internet access, regular telephone service and Voice over DSL (Voice over IP and/or Voice over ATM) simultaneously. Most importantly, the ICS 2000 aggregates all of these different types of services, and makes them completely transparent to the user. This not only allows the user to take advantage of current and future services enabled by their DSL connection, but also dramatically reduces the complexity of implementing these services for the user.

The 2Wire ICS 2000 also enables an entirely new class of enhanced services for the consumer without adding significant costs, by leveraging telephone services available to consumers today through their telephone company, including Caller ID, Call Waiting and voicemail. A key benefit of the ICS 2000 is the capability to add virtual phone lines, without installing new wiring. Each of these virtual phone lines can then be associated with a particular phone or to multiple phones anywhere in the home or office. Other enhanced "home PBX" functionality that the 2Wire ICS 2000 can deliver includes room-to-room dialing, distinctive ringing, do not disturb, and time of day call management.

In addition to support for these enhanced voice services, the 2Wire ICS 2000 also offers users the integrated data functionality of the award-winning family of HomePortal residential gateways. Incorporating a DSL modem, router and business-grade firewall, and providing support for IPSec VPN, the ICS 2000 supports multiple networking technologies, including HomePNA, USB and Ethernet. The ICS 2000 also supports multiple operating systems, Microsoft Windows 98, 95, 2000, ME, NT and Mac OS.

The 2Wire ICS 2000 integrated communication system includes:

• The new 2Wire HomePortal 2000 residential gateway
  • Includes integrated DSL modem, router, and business-grade firewall
  • Supports HomePNA 2.0, USB and Ethernet networking technologies
  • Two additional telephone jacks to enable up to two phones (or fax machines) to be directly connected to the gateway
• Three new 2Wire Phone Port adapters
  • HomePNA 2.0-to-POTS adapter (Voice over HomePNA)
  • Converts standard analog telephones located anywhere in the home into digital devices that can be managed through the home network, just like a networked PC
  • Additional Phone Port adapters available separately for US$99.00
• New 2Wire HomePortal Release 2.0 software
  • Integrated within ICS 2000 to enable telephony functionality
  • Provides support for IPSec for unparalleled security for VPN applications
  • Available as a software upgrade for all HomePortal models for US$99.00

The 2Wire ICS 2000 integrated communication system will be available in Q1 2001 through 2Wire distribution channels for a suggested list price of US$999 for the complete solution.

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