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Netopia Selected By AMD to Provide Broadband Capabilities for the Personal Internet Communicator; 3342 ADSL Pocket Gateway Bundled to Provide Affordable High-Speed Internet Access

Posted on: Tuesday, 15 February 2005, 09:00 CST

Netopia Inc., a market leader in broadband and Wi-Fi products and services, today announced AMD (NYSE:AMD) has selected Netopia's pocket gateway as an optional peripheral to help enable high-speed ADSL broadband connections for AMD's Personal Internet Communicator (PIC), launched in October 2004. The PIC is now available with the Netopia(R) 3342 ADSL Pocket Gateway, the world's smallest broadband modem, to provide customers with a self-contained high-speed Internet service at an affordable price.

"International Internet service providers want to expand the market for broadband and Internet services and they are building out networks to support this expansion. One hurdle to success has been the ability to offer customers a connectivity device that everyone can afford," Dano Ybarra, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Netopia, said. "By working with AMD, Netopia is providing broadband modem technology to help enable a managed Internet access solution within areas of the world where high-speed broadband technology might not previously have been available or affordable."

PICs are a new category of affordable consumer devices designed to provide managed Internet access for people in global, high-growth markets to enhance communications, entertainment and education opportunities. PICs are offered through Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to citizens in markets where Internet access devices are not prevalent, such as India, Mexico, Brazil, Russia and China. PICs help expand the ISP's broadband and Internet service offering by bundling the product, Internet service and financing options to encourage customer adoption.

"New technology approaches and platforms are needed to meet the unique requirements and economic limitations in high-growth markets," said Gino Giannotti, vice president, Value Platforms, AMD Personal Connectivity Solutions Group. "We selected Netopia to work with AMD based on the company's pocket gateway product which - when integrated with the PIC - provides ISPs an affordable, simple-to-deploy broadband solution to market to their customer base."

Netopia Pocket Gateway Easy to Deploy and Use

Netopia's 3342 ADSL Pocket Gateway connects directly to the USB port and is host powered, which eliminates the need for an external power supply. As the world's smallest ADSL Smart Gateway, the Netopia 3342 leverages a compact design for lower cost deployment and customer convenience. The Pocket Gateway can be installed in minutes using Netopia's installation wizards and built-in WebUI. The built-in PPPoE client on the Pocket Gateway eliminates licensing costs and reduces the support burden created by PPPoE client installation on the home computer.

Unlike conventional modems, the Netopia 3342 Pocket Gateway's intelligent software features reduce the cost of ongoing customer support, while increasing customer satisfaction. One-click diagnostics make customer self-support intuitive, easy and fast. When necessary, the Pocket Gateway's IP address and logging features enable remote management and fast trouble-shooting. The results are higher uptime, increased customer satisfaction, improved customer retention and higher profitability for the ISP.

Personal Internet Communicator Brings High-Tech to New Areas

AMD's PIC is a new category of affordable, consumer devices designed to provide Internet access for people in global, high-growth markets to enhance communication, entertainment and education opportunities. The PIC is based on a Microsoft(R) Windows(R)-powered operating system and is designed to be an easy to use, affordable device that provides managed Internet connectivity and basic computing and Internet capabilities such as a Web browser, e-mail, productivity tools (word processing and spreadsheet), and the ability to view images, multimedia files and standard format documents.

About Netopia

Netopia, Inc. is a market leader in broadband products and services that enable service providers to improve their profitability. Its portfolio of wired and wireless gateways, software, and value-added services enhance revenue generation while reducing costs for carriers and broadband service providers. Netopia's Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(tm) gateways feature 3-D Reach(tm) technology for enhanced wireless range, security, and performance. The company has established strategic distribution relationships with leading carriers and broadband service providers including Belgacom, BellSouth, Covad Communications, EarthLink, eircom, Hong Kong Telecom/PCCW, MegaPath Networks, Netifice, SBC Communications, Swisscom, and Verizon. Netopia also offers powerful remote-control software for IT support organizations.

Headquartered in Emeryville, California, Netopia's common stock trades on the pink sheets under the symbol "NTPA.PK." Further information about Netopia can be obtained via phone (510) 420-7400, fax (510) 420-7601, or on the Web at www.netopia.com.

All company names, brand names and product names are trademarks of their respective holder(s).

Source: Business Wire

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