HAYES ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR NEW CCITT V.42 STANDARD ATLANTA, GA., May 2, 1988 - In continuing support of international standards, Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. announced today that it will provide products implementing the new CCITT Recommendation V.42 for point-to-point modem error-control. Hayes will offer a firmware upgrade for present and past V-series system products to make them compatible with the new V.42 standard. "We have taken an active role in the evolution of the new standard and will continue to contribute to the work of the CCITT and ANSI to develop new standards and enhance existing ones," said Hayes President Dennis C. Hayes. "The knowledge acquired concerning HDLC-based protocols during the LAPB implementation for our V-series system products will enable us to quickly respond to the V.42 needs of the marketplace." Establishment of the V.42 standard resolves the issue of point-to-point modem error-control and enables the communications industry to shift its focus to the role played in the future by public data networks, X.25 networks and ISDN. ### V.42 AND BEYOND: THE FUTURE OF COMMUNICATIONS After more than three years of extensive development, CCITT Recommendation V.42 has been finalized. Following meetings just completed in Geneva, Switzerland where it was agreed upon by Plenary Modem Study Group XVII, V.42 now goes before the full CCITT for formal adoption in November 1988 in Australia. Hayes was actively involved in the process of developing CCITT Recommendation V.42. Along with engineers from other communications equipment manufacturers, services suppliers, PTTs and governmental representatives, the company has participated in U.S. national committees (US CCITT Study Group D Modem Working Party) and internationally to share its communications expertise during the development of this new standard. Known as LAPM (Link Access Procedure-Modem), the primary protocol in the V.42 standard is based on the Link Access Procedure-D Channel (LAPD, used on the ISDN "D" [signaling] channel) international standard. Both LAPB (used for error-control in present Hayes V-series modems) and LAPD are based on the international standard High-level Data Link Control (HDLC) procedures specified by the International Standards Organization (ISO). Founding the new V.42 standard on such a widely tested, accepted and utilized standard will provide great benefits for its implementation. Compliance testing for LAPM will benefit greatly from the large body of knowledge in existence concerning HDLC-based procedures. Basing the primary protocol for modem error-control on the LAPD protocol adopted by ISO and CCITT supports the position Hayes and many others favored during the development of the V.42 standard. By developing LAPM, the CCITT has provided a firm foundation for continuing work on advanced modem features such as data compression, remote configuration and use of multiple virtual circuits. V.42 and the existing X.25 standard for communications through public and private data networks provide direction to the continuing evolution of the dial-up data communications environment. This new standard is important for the present, but it is even more important for the future. V.42 provides the error-control standard for point-to-point communication, but that is the limit of its scope. Now that point-to-point error-control has been addressed, focus can shift to the future and point-to-multi-point communications through the Public Data Networks (PDN) based on X.25. Personal computers are becoming multi-tasking systems whose communications needs can be addressed by features such as X.25 PADs. Hayes plans to support this need through its X.25 PAD enhancement to the V-series system products. By combining the capabilities available today through the PDN with the multi-tasking features of the personal computer workstation, Hayes will provide solutions to all communications network problems. Looking further into the future, access to this same PDN will also be possible by way of an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) connection which uses a terminal adapter with a built-in X.25 PAD. In keeping with its history of implementing international standards, Hayes plans to offer V.42 compatible data communications products in the future which will also be compatible with the installed base of the company's current V-series system products. Hayes will also offer a firmware upgrade for present and past V-series system products which will make them compatible with the new V.42 standard. The CCITT's recommendation of an HDLC-based procedure for modem error-control affirms the Hayes decision to base error-control in its V-series system products on an extension of the LAPB protocol. Knowledge concerning HDLC-based protocols will enable Hayes to quickly respond with a V.42 upgrade for the V-series system products. The new V.42 standard includes a number of error-control features (XID frames and a benign recognition sequence) which Hayes has already successfully used in its V-series system products. CCITT Recommendation V.42, defines error-control for modems based on existing international standards. Hayes engineers have taken an active role in the development of the new standard, and will continue to work as part of the CCITT and ANSI to develop new standards and enhance the existing standards. ###