INFORMATION HIGHWAY SELECTS RAMP NETWORKS TO DELIVER DSL SERVICE IN BELL ATLANTIC & LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS TERRITORY
- High-Speed ADSL Service with WebRamp 600i Now Available for Small Businesses in Selected Cities Nationwide -
For Immediate Release: RICHMOND, BC and SANTA CLARA, CA, February 24, 2000 - Information Highway.com, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: IHWY), a leading ISP and Internet Content Provider today announced it has selected Ramp Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: RAMP), a leading provider of easy-to-use, shared Internet access devices, to provide Asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) solutions to the small business and residential markets in the Bell Atlantic territory as well as selected cities served by Level 3 Communications nationwide. High-speed ADSL service with the WebRamp 600i, Ramp's enhanced platform for software and services, will be available immediately through Information Highway's network of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and selected Ramp value-added resellers (VARs).
With the selection of the WebRamp 600i, Information Highway is bringing a full range of Internet solutions, including e-commerce and virtual private networks (VPNs), to the Bell Atlantic Territory, which covers 13 States from Virginia to Maine. Additionally, Information Highway will partner with selected Ramp VARs in some major metropolitan cities around the country currently serviced by Level 3 Communications. Business customers can choose from a full range of Internet access services at prices considerably less than current SDSL offerings from ISPs and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs).
By the year 2002, Forrester expects 15.6 million households in the US (30 percent of the expected online population) will log onto the Internet via broadband technologies. Broadband enables high-speed, continuous access to the Internet, and the current users of the technology are Internet-savvy individuals who are likely to participate in e-commerce.
“We selected Ramp because they provide the most scaleable, powerful, secure platform for services to small business customers, including support of Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE),” said John Robertson, Chief Executive Officer of Information Highway. “We can immediately leverage Ramp's high-performance line of DSL products and established reseller channel. We look forward to working closely with Ramp to increase small office adoption of broadband applications and bring leading-edge services like voice and streaming media over DSL to our customers.”
“Ramp's broadband strategy is focused on building strong relationships with ISPs like Information Highway,” said Jerry Jalaba, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Support for Ramp Networks. “Ramp and Information Highway are delivering the value-added services that small businesses need to leverage business-to-business and business-to-consumer applications.”
Information Highway will provide an integrated package of services to its customers, including full e-commerce services, web site hosting, dial up services and free access to Information Highway's premium portal site (www.theexecutive.com), which allows users to access stock quotes, weather forecasts, on-line trading, shopping, web searches, multicasting and, in the future, free long distance telephone calls over the Internet.
Three types of Infospeed DSL with downstream speeds of up to 7.1 Mbps and upstream speeds of up to 680 Kbps will be available. Customers can purchase ADSL service through Information Highway's network of ISPs or selected Ramp VARs. These VARs have expertise in small business Internet access installations and can offer the package to their customers as part of an overall LAN/WAN integration service.
WebRamp 600i Overview
The WebRamp 600i is specifically designed to meet the needs of the small office environment for high-bandwidth Internet-based communications and applications. It is the first ADSL customer premise equipment with a high performance RISC processor to support both full-rate asymmetric DSL and G.lite standards and handle security protocols such as IPSec and Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol. It features an external serial port for connecting analog or ISDN modems as backup; software selection between ADSL and G.lite; flexible configuration as a bridge or router; the ability to use either a range of registered IP addresses or share a single address using Network Address Translation and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol; and easy configuration with the EasyRamp suite of integrated software. The WebRamp 600i will support PPPoE pass through (PPPoE initiated on a LAN PC) as well as PPPoE client to initiate PPPoE sessions directly from the WebRamp. About Information Highway.com, Inc. Information Highway is a leading Internet Service Provider (ISP) engaged in web content development, e-commerce solutions, Internet access and emerging Internet technology. Information Highway provides dial up and ADSL fast Internet and dedicated Internet access as well as web site hosting. Information Highway has business relationships with IBM, Level 3 Communications, Broadcast.com, AT&T and Bell Atlantic. About Ramp Networks Ramp Networks is a leading worldwide provider of high-speed Internet access solutions. The company provides a fully scaleable platform for software and services that enables small offices to leverage high-bandwidth Internet-based communications and applications. Designed for security, interoperability and performance, the award-winning WebRamp product family includes analog, ISDN, IP fax, firewall and broadband Internet access products, such as ADSL, IDSL, SDSL, G.Lite and cable solutions. Ramp's customers include small businesses, branch and affiliate offices of major corporations. Products are available through Internet service providers, local exchange carrier partners and through Ramp's extensive VAR channel. Ramp Networks is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, with sales locations throughout the world. For more information, visit Ramp's Web site at http://www.rampnet.com or contact the company at 888-726-7638 or fax 408-988-6363.
For more information about Information Highway.com, Inc. visit its Web site at www.information-highway.com or contact Investor Relations at 212-727-3120 or http://www.parkcap.com.
Source: Ramp Networks