Effnet spearheads development of wireless internet standards for IP header compression

10/30/2000 2:55 AM EST

EFFNET SPEARHEADS DEVELOPMENT OF WIRELESS INTERNET STANDARDS FOR IP HEADER
COMPRESSION

Founder Mikael Degermark wins "Framstegets Pris" for wireless research

Effnet's IP Header Compression provides increased performance for cellular
networks, including optimisations for operators and users of future
broadband wireless networks. IP Header Compression is being integrated
into the EffnetEdge Toolkit for IP packet processing optimisation.

This new technology positions the company in the forefront of Wireless
Internet developments.

"Our focus on IP Header Compression follows Effnet's strategic transition
to core development and licensing in areas like IP packet-processing and
IT security", says Tony Svensson, CEO, Effnet Group AB. "There is a huge
potential in Wireless Internet and we will continue to innovate in these
high growth areas. Our award-winning IP Header Compression research and
technology clearly indicates our success in the area."

Award-winning IP Technology
The core of this new IP Header Compression technology is a new standard
developed for the Internet (RFC 2507) by three key Effnet contributors:
Dr. Mikael Degermark (Co-founder), Björn Nordgren (Senior Engineer) and
Dr. Stephen Pink (Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder). Mikael
Degermark recently received the prize "Framstegets Pris" by the Swedish
magazine NyTeknik for research within wireless mobile Internet telephony.

The other header compression standard is now being finalized in the ROHC
Work Group of the Internet Engineering Task Force, which is chaired by Dr.
Degermark.

"The new ROHC standard will be ready this year", says Dr. Degermark, and
adds that "this new global standard is largely based on results from the
ROCCO project which recently received the Framsteget Award".

The prestigious Framsteget award is given annually to "the best research
project in the IT area in Sweden" by Ny Teknik, a leading Swedish
technology publication, and was presented at the Guldmusen ceremonies last
week.

"As the original developers of the world-renowned Luleå family of
algorithms for fast IP forwarding and packet filtering, Effnet has
established itself as a leader in high speed networking performance. By
adding the IP Header Compression for low-speed wireless links, Effnet's
technology is extended to cover the new and expanding world of Wireless
Internet communication", says Dr. Stephen Pink, Chief Technology Officer,
Effnet Group.


EffnetEdge Toolkit and Technology Partner Program
Effnet partners closely with licensees to integrate the EffnetEdge
Toolkit technology modules into their component, chip or system designs.

Through Effnet's Technology Partner Program (TPP), which offers the
EffnetEdge Toolkit and products like SecureIT , licensees can utilize
parts, or the whole, of the Effnet technology platform.

"We continue to innovate our Internet technology through optimisations for
the Wireless Internet. The EffnetEdge Toolkit will now have support for
the latest technology that enables building Wireless Internets faster and
cheaper than before", says Dr. Stephen Pink.

IP Header Compression
The Header Compression module, under development, can be used as part of
an IP router or firewall that also serves as a Wireless Internet base
station for cellular phone users, and potentially users of coming
broadband wireless technologies. All header compression optimisations are
done at the IP level so that today's investments will continue to pay off
as new higher speed wireless technologies are deployed.


By compressing the IP packet headers, more user data can be transferred in
the same amount of time. This advance translates into faster and lower
cost services for wireless Internet customers and operators. In addition,
IP Header Compression has features that allow the safe and effective
compression of headers even on typically noisy wireless links. This means
that the benefits of header compression are not lost because of dropouts
or other interruptions of cellular or wireless calls.

About Effnet
Effnet develops and licenses IP-packet processing technology designed to
resolve bottlenecks in Internet communication and security, thereby
creating maximum benefit for its customers. Today, Effnet has offices in
four locations: Stockholm, Luleå and Håverud in Sweden; and Mountain View,

Silicon Valley. Effnet Group AB is listed on Stockholm's "Nya Marknaden"
(New Market). The company has 70+ employees, including those in Wkit
Security, the wholly owned data security services and products subsidiary.

Read more about Effnet at www.effnet.com.
Read about Wkit at www.wkit.com.

For more information, please contact:

Steve Pink
Chief Technology Officer
Effnet Group AB
Tel. +46 (0) 70 523 0007
E-mail:  


Cecilia Engström
Marcom & PR Manager
Effnet Group AB
Tel. +46 (0) 8 564 611 13
E-mail: