MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Digi International Inc. (Nasdaq: DGII) today announced an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement to provide its DataFire RAS 4 and AccelePort RAS 8 communications adapters for IBM's line of powerful AS/400 servers.

IBM selected Digi's adapters to meet the needs of small and medium-sized AS/400 customers for 56 Kbps analog and digital ISDN communications services.

"Customers using our popular AS/400 servers are increasingly interested in leveraging the servers' reliability and scalability to support communications services such as remote access and faxing," said Russ VanDuine, IBM's program manager of AS/400 I/O Development. "We will sell the DSP-based technology because we believe it will enable our customers to benefit from future advances in connectivity and data access."

According to IBM, as the company's AS/400 servers have become more popular for their ability to reliably run multiple Internet and e-business applications, the need for strong communications has become more critical.

"IBM's leadership position in the midrange server market makes this OEM win especially significant as it enhances our own leadership position in communications adapters," said Douglas Glader, Digi senior vice president and chief operating officer. "This OEM agreement solidifies acceptance of our standard, PCI-based adapters for even critical communication applications."

IBM will sell the adapters through its broad value-added reseller channel. The products will be generally available December 17. Pricing has not been determined.

The DataFire RAS 4 is a PCI card providing both ISDN B Channel and 56Kbps modem connectivity on four BRI ports. The AccelePort RAS 8 provides connections for up to eight POTS connections to and from analog modems on a single PCI card. Both products support V.90 and K56flex standards and run on a variety of operating systems, including Windows NT, Novell NetWare and SCO Unix. The cards also can be utilized for other applications such as fax and integrated messaging and are ideal for small- to mid-sized business applications.

About Digi International

Digi International, based in Minneapolis, is a leading worldwide provider of voice and data communications hardware and software that delivers seamless connectivity solutions for open-systems, server-based remote access and LAN markets. The company markets its products through a global network of distributors and resellers, system integrators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). For more information, visit Digi's Web site at http://www.digi.com or call 800-344-4273 (U.S.) or 612-912-3444 (International).

SOURCE Digi International