Multi-Tech Announces Enhanced Voice and a Lower Price for the
MultiModemPCS

MOUNDS VIEW, MINNESOTA--August 27, 1993--Multi-Tech Systems, Inc., a
leading data communications technology company, announced today the latest
release of the Personal Communications System (PCS) firmware and software
with enhanced voice quality. In addition the price of the patent pending
MultiModemPCS hardware and MultiExpressPCS software has been reduced to
$949 U.S. (previously $1149 U.S.) The enhanced voice firmware and software
is available in any new units shipped and as a free upgrade to all PCSs
already purchased.

"There are now two voice compression algorithms available for PCS users,"
According to Raghu Sharma, President of Multi-Tech. "Normal voice
recording is now done using a 16K bps compression algorithm, and
voice-over-data operation is done with 9600 bps compression. The original
release of the product used 9200 bps for both types of communications. The
new algorithms mean that voice quality is enhanced in both situations. The
9600 bps option also can be selected for message recording by the user for
efficient use of disk space."

Digitizing and compressing voice signals for efficient transmission via
digital communications media has been in place for years. While
appropriate for simple voice transmissions, these traditional compression
schemes do not work when combining voice and data transmissions over a
single telephone line. The most common voice digitization scheme results
in a digital bitstream at 64K bps. This is generally referred to in the
industry as Pulse Code Modulation (PCM). Transcoding algorithms used to
compress PCM are called Adaptive Delta Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM) that
can result in 32K or 16K bps bit streams. With ADPCM, the quality of
compressed speech at 16K bps is marginal.

Multi-Tech has developed two algorithms for compressing speech to 16K and
9600 bps based on Vector Quantization which provides superior quality over
comparable ADPCM techniques. Instead of encoding the speech waveform on a
sample-by-sample basis as in ADPCM, Vector Quantization works with blocks
of samples matched to vector table values which most closely match the
waveform.

The 16K bps algorithm is used primarily for voice mail and multi-media mail
and requires 120K bytes of disk space per minute of speech. The 9600 bps
algorithm is used primarily for simultaneous voice and data operations
(e.g., Show and Tell), because it requires less bandwidth during
transmission. For those users concerned about disk storage space, the PCS
software can be set to use 9600 bps for voice storage applications. The
9.6K bps algorithm requires 72K bytes per minute of speech storage.

The addition of the new compression algorithms enhances the PCS's quality
and efficiency in voice mail, multimedia mail, and voice-over-data modes.
The operation of the PCS as a normal phone is not affected because voice
is transmitted in its native analog form when "telephone" mode is active.

Multi-Tech Systems, which reported sales of $81 million for 1992, was
founded in 1970 to manufacture data communications equipment and systems
for the global market of networking product users. The Minnesota-based
company is well-known for its MultiModem line of dial-up communications
products. Multi-Tech's family of products include a complete line of
data/fax modems, MultiMux statistical multiplexers, DSUs, 3270/3780/5250
emulation systems, X.25 PADS/Switches, UNIX serial interfaces,
communications software, LAN/WAN connectivity products, and most recently,
the MultiModemPCS, a voice/data/fax personal communications system. These
products are sold in over 70 countries through a worldwide network of
distributors, manufacturer's reps, systems integrators, value-added
resellers (VARs) and retailers. Multi-Tech Systems, Inc. can be contacted
at its headquarters: 2205 Woodale Drive, Mounds View, Minnesota 55112,
main numbers (612) 785-3500 or (800) 328-9717, Technical Support (800)
972-2439, BBS (612) 785-9875 or (800) 392-2432, U. S. FAX (612) 785-9874

 ==========================================================
 From the 'New Product Information' Electronic News Service
 ==========================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the
 above mentioned company. For additional details, contact 
 the company at the address or telephone number indicated.
 ==========================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ 08080  U.S.A.
 Email:  RBakerPC (AOL/Delphi), rbakerpc@aol.com (Internet)
 ==========================================================
