Subject: USR's stance on the HST
From: Henry Senk
To: All Msg #33, 21-Sep-88 02:31pm

Future Looks Brighter Than Ever
                    for Courier HST Modem
.
                       by Casey Cowell
                President, U.S. Robotics, Inc.
.
       In little more than a year, U.S. Robotics' Courier HST modem
     has established itself as the price/performance value leader
     among high-speed modems.
       Courier HST is a success today because it delivered on
     its very straightforward promise -- to radically improve dial-up
     data communications by using the best ideas and most affordable
     mix of technology.
       And it will be a success tomorrow as it evolves to meet ever-
     growing demands for power, speed, reliability, economy and ease
     of use.
       Courier HST's success must be framed in the context of a
     marketplace rife with unsubstantiated product claims, announced-
     but-undelivered products, a variety of incompatibility problems
     and very unstable pricing.
       As the smoke finally begins to clear, Courier HST
     emerges as the strongest "proprietary" product in the high-speed
     modem market, with tens-of-thousands of highly satisfied users
     and a litany of praise from oft-skeptical industry observers and
     product reviewers.
       Even PC Week, last of the nay-sayers on proprietary high-speed
     modems, admits the Courier HST is "here to stay." Courier HST
     occupies the leading edge of a revolution in modem design that
     has simply outpaced the formal standards process.
       The standards-setting community (CCITT) is slow to
     confer formal recognition upon new technology.  For example,
     CCITT's V.29 and V.32 recommendations pre-date the market for
     high-speed personal computer modems.  Consequently, for many
     applications, V.29 and V.32 modems deliver too little or too much
     technology.  But Courier HST was conceived specifically for the
     PC marketplace, with a combination of features, performance and
     price that have made it a winner.
       We continue working within the U.S. modem standards committee
     on a new, asymmetrical modem standard that will be submitted in
     early 1989 for CCITT consideration.  If approved, the new
     recommendation (V.34) would establish Courier HST as a world
     standard.
       Formal recognition notwithstanding, we remain totally committed
     to supporting and further developing our Courier HST technology
     throughout the remaining lifetime of the analog telephone network
     (which will almost certainly survive through the turn of the
     century).
       In addition, all future versions -- regardless of improvements
     and possible supplementary modulation techniques -- will offer
     high-speed compatibility with all previous Courier HST models.
       For more than a decade, modem users have looked to U.S.
     Robotics for the best solutions to their data commuications
     needs.  And for more than a decade, we've met their needs for
     productivity, reliability, compatibility, service and value.  We
     pledge to continue our tradition of excellence as we meet the
     challenges and changes of a dynamic marketplace.

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 * Origin: Sit Ubu Sit (Opus 1:115/500)