Rona Peart 
SynOptics Communications, Inc. 
(408) 764-7352

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE STANDARDIZES ON SYNOPTICS

Manageability, Cost Savings and Simplicity Are Winning Factors

CINCINNATI, OHIO, EDUCOM CONFERENCE, October 18, 1993 -  SynOptics
Communications, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, today announced that the University of
Tennessee has standardized on SynOptics' intelligent hubs.  Challenged by an
extremely heterogeneous computing and networking environment, a demanding user
base and a need to stay on the leading edge of information technology, the
university chose SynOptics as its standard for new LAN connections.

	The University of Tennessee serves a growing population that is
currently between 4,000 and 5,000 end users - staff, students and faculty - on
40 different LANs at its main campus in Knoxville.  Some of these users are
themselves leading developers of computer and networking technologies and
require leading-edge technology for their work.  On the other hand, the
university's network must also serve novice and mid-level staff, faculty and
students who may never have accessed a network before.  In the past, the
university has installed a vast array of computing systems - IBM mainframes,
Digital VAXs, PCs, UNIX systems and Apple Macintoshes - linked by a variety of
networking types, including diverse LAN and host-to-terminal systems.

	In order to consolidate the LAN portion of its network, the
university decided to standardize on a few leading providers, such as
SynOptics, Cisco and SunConnect.  The University is linking all new network 
installations with a combination of the SynOptics' Ethernet workgroup 
and modular hubs, which provide a cost-effective yet flexible means of 
providing "anywhere to anywhere" access to all users on the network.

	"Our primary concern was to get a better handle on our network,"
said Ed Mahon, assistant director for UT's Computing Center.  "As a result, we
needed to consolidate on a few strategic vendors who could help us grow in a
heterogeneous environment, plus give us the right management capabilities.
SynOptics not only had all the hardware choices we needed, but their Optivity(tm)
network management system gave us a level of manageability we didn't have
before.  Plus, it worked with the platform we hadready chosen, which was
SunNet Manager.  And because SynOptics also works with Cisco and others, we
found we could manage all their products together very easily."

	Cost savings and simplified administration of the network are two
more criteria which are important to the university.  The university has begun
installing SynOptics products and plans to continue doing so for new LAN
connections.

	SynOptics Communications is a leading supplier of networking
products and management systems to organizations worldwide.  SynOptics
delivers the network fabric - a managed, high-speed communications system that
supports new classes of enterprise and multi-enterprise applications.  With
the intelligent hub as its key building block, the network fabric seamlessly
integrates emerging technologies with existing network equipment to create a
transparent, self-managing system that easily expands and evolves as an
organization grows.  SynOptics, founded in 1985, is headquartered in Santa
Clara, Calif. and has more than 50 offices worldwide.  SynOptics is publicly
traded over the counter under the NASDAQ symbol SNPX. # # #

SynOptics and Optivity are trademarks and SynOptics Communications is a
registered trademark of SynOptics Communications, Inc.  All other brand and
product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective
holders.