Alameda, Cailfornia-based Ascend Communications Inc has expanded its range of remote access products to target small and medium-sized companies. The MAX 200Plus is an eight- port wide area network access switch based on PC Card technology and integrating support for both analog modems and ISDN. It is designed to provide electronic mail, Internet access and file transfer capabilities to smaller businesses, mobile workers and telecommuters. According to European marketing director Alan Bates, it is based on the DaynaLINK product family acquired from Dayna Communications last September (CI No 2,750). The functionality is far enhanced from the Dayna product, he added. The company claimed that the graphical configuration software, combined with the open PC Card architecture, allows for easy set-up and installation. The product includes standards-based security, network management and dial-out modem and facsimile capabilities, and is compatible with the rest of the MAX line. Also new is the MAX 1800, designed for central site and small Internet service providers and aimed at multiple remote access applications such as telecommuting, remote office networking, Internet and video access. It comes with eight ISDN Basic Rate Interface ports, two expansion slots as standard and provides all the functionality of the larger MAX 4000 but at a lower price, the firm says. Both are available now. The MAX 200Plus costs around $3,720. Pricing is not yet available for the MAX 1800.
