Press Release

devolo AG presents the first analogue modem with Ethernet port

Aachen, July 12, 2004—The Aachen, Germany based devolo AG introduces the new MicroLink 56k Fun LAN, the first analogue modem with an Ethernet port. Available as of mid-August 2004, it will be on offer at a recommended retail price of Euro 79.90. Germany’s market leader for analogue modems has now made it easier for multiple networked PCs to use a narrow-band Internet access.

“The development of this new product, the likes of which is not available anywhere else, has benefited from our extensive know-how and years of experience in developing high-speed analogue modems”, says Heiko Harbers, CEO of devolo AG in Aachen, Germany. Despite ISDN and DSL technologies, there is still a large number of households accessing the Internet over narrow-band telephone lines and wanting to access this from multiple computers.

“The MicroLink 56k Fun LAN complements our products line perfectly”, says Harbers. For example, the network-compatible 56k modem can be combined with a devolo router and with the MicroLink dLAN (“direct Local Area Network”) line of products. This combination of products offers analogue Internet access at every power socket in the home. No longer does the PC have to stand next to the telephone socket; it can be connected to the MicroLink 56k Fun LAN via any power socket in the house. Harbers: “With our new 56k modem, every type of Internet access—be it analogue, ISDN or DSL—can be extended into every room in the house by using the electricity circuit.

At the same time, the MicroLink 56k Fun LAN is unique in offering the levels of convenience of a DSL modem; it connects to the Internet fully automatically as soon as the browser is started. Special software for dialling into the Internet is simply not necessary. A beneficial side effect is that web diallers can no longer secretly dial into expensive providers at the cost of the user. The MicroLink 56k Fun LAN will be available in retail in mid-August at a recommended retail price of Euro 79.90.

Photos and the product data sheet are available from the devolo homepage under www.devolo.de. Test samples are available to journalists upon request.