Asante Licenses Ramp Network's Router Technology

Local-area networking vendor Asante Technologies Inc. will release a line of multi-user Internet access devices later this year. To speed product development, Asante announced it will license router software technology from Ramp Networks Inc.

Of particular interest is Ramp's connection-optimized link technology (COLT). The COLT software algorithm uses standard TCP/IP network technology to spread an Internet connection over several modems. It also let multiple users simultaneously access the Internet over either a single shared modem or shared pool of modems.

First announced at MacWorld in San Francisco earlier this month, Asante's FriendlyNET product family will be targeted at the small-office/home-office (SOHO) as well as corporate branch offices. The products will include local-area network connections combined with analog modem or ISDN Internet access, plus router and security software. The products will be compatible with PCs, Macintoshes personal computers, or UNIX-based workstations.