At a press conference held here today, Accton Technology Corporation and NCI (Network Computer, Inc.), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oracle Corporation, announced a marketing alliance under which both companies will deliver the new Accton NC, a network computer designed specifically to connect users to the Internet using NCI's NC Access and which will carry both the NCI and Accton brand names.

Unlike conventional PC computing approaches to Internet access, the new Accton NC is an Intel Pentium-based computer designed to act as an Internet workstation, providing computing the same functionality as a standard PC but at one fifth the cost. The Accton NC will initially ship with the NC operating system, although it will also support other common computing platforms.

The Accton NC allows users to run software and perform common computing operations, as well as access electronic mail and the World Wide Web, complete with full audio and video capability. It is an ideal solution for corporate users who are seeking a cost-effective workgroup computing solution, or companies looking to migrate from their current dumb terminals.

Accton Technology will be working with NCI to develop the sales channel for the new Accton NC computer. The initial target markets will be Japan and the United States. According to company sources, the marketing alliance with NCI is designed to focus not only on bringing new hardware to market, but in creating comprehensive network computing solutions for business, education, medicine, consumers, and others.

"Working with NCI to bring one of the first Network Computing PCs to market is a major step forward for Accton Technology Corporation," said Mr. Ymin Doo, Chief Executive Officer of Accton Technology Corporation. "As the popularity of the Internet continues to explode, many new users, including corporate customers and educators, are seeking low-cost Internet access solutions.

"We believe that the Accton NC computer will become an important part of our corporate sales strategy and will round out our current line of Ethernet switches, hubs, and related Ethernet products. That's why we are so delighted to be one of the first vendors to have a product that has been tested and approved by Oracle/NCI for the NC operating system."

According to a report published by International Data Corporation, overall sales of Internet access devices should reach $1.25 billion (U.S.) in 1997 and $3.48 billion in 1998. Of those overall sales, the market for Internet PCs should exceed $69 million this year and $210 million in 1998, and the market for Internet terminals should reach $587 million this year and $1.27 billion in 1998. The majority of these devices will be purchased by corporate and educational customers.

The Accton NC will deliver superior network access and performance for a very low cost. The Accton NC features an Intel Pentium CPU (up to 200 MHz) with from 8 to 256 Mbytes of EDO on board, cache memory of 256 Kbytes of SRAM, and BIOS of 128 Kbytes or 256 Kbytes, depending on configuration. All the software required is embedded in the BIOS for easy configuration and remote installation and administration.

The Accton NC also features an S3 graphic accelerator with 1 Mbyte of video DRAM (with 264 VT/2 PCI 2 Mbyte video DRAM as a feature enhancement), and 16-bit stereo sound with line-in, line-out, and microphone support. For network access, the Accton NC features a MpX2 TX port. I/O device support includes a serial port, keyboard port, FDD support, and two optional IDE hard drive ports.

The Accton NC is now available for market to corporate customers for a retail price of less than $900 (U.S.). Accton also plans to expand its NC product line with additional units based on different microprocessors.

The next round of products for entry level users, which will be built using a different microprocessor from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), will be available some time in the next quarter for less than $500. Other low-cost Accton NC units specifically designed for multimedia applications are also expected to become available later this year.

About NCI

NCI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oracle Corp., develops, licenses and markets all software, technology and support services for the NC including NC Access, NC Server and NC Card. With strategic alliances worldwide, NCI's mission is to bring network computing to the corporate, consumer and educational marketplaces. NCI's World Wide Web address is http://www.nc.com . For more information about NCI, please call 415/631-4600.

About Accton Technology

Accton Technology Corporation manufactures workgroup connectivity hardware and software, including a complete product line of network adapters, hubs, routers, and switches for Ethernet and Fast Ethernet. Accton Technology Corporation has its international headquarters in Taiwan Science-based Industrial Park, and manufactures workgroup connectivity hardware and software.

Accton Technology Corporation address No. 1, Creation Road III, Science-based Industrial Park, Hsinchu 3007, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tele: 3-577-0270, Fax: 3-577-0267. Accton USA, which handles mass-market product distribution throughout the Western Hemisphere, is located at 1962 Zanker Road, San Jose, CA 95112; telephone (408) 452-8900; FAX: (408) 452-8988. Accton also has sales offices in Tokyo, Sydney, London, Frankfurt, Beijing, Dubai, Bombay and Taipei.