Cabletron Systems Inc has signed a deal with Motorola Inc’s Semiconductor division, under which Cabletron will develop remote access and wide area network products using Motorola’s single-chip, Discrete Multitone-based CopperGold Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line transceiver. The transceiver supports both Synchronous and Asynchronous Transfer Mode transmission at speeds up to 8Mbps. The scalable Discrete MultiTone, DMT, architecture is claimed to support a range of transmission speeds: from 3 2Kbps to 8Mbps from the network provider to the end user, and 32Kbps up to 1Mbps from the end user back to the network provider. The products will form part of Cabletron’s CyberSwitch remote access products, which also incorporate wide area network technology from Cabletron’s acquisition of Network Express Inc. In a startling move for a company that has always relied on direct sales, Cabletron Systems Inc has launched its first US-based sales distribution program. Through the new Synergy-Plus Partners Program, the company hopes to enter into focused, single-tier reseller relationships, and thus strengthen its relationships with value added resellers, integrators, and national telecommunications firms. The first resellers Cabletron has signed up are Kent Electronics and GE Capital Technology Management Services. It has also introduced new pricing structures and product distribution programs including World/One for multinationals establishing global networks; Technology Refresh, a migration and discount program and Buyback, through which Cabletron will buy other vendors’ products in exchange for Cabletron kit on a case-by-case basis.
