Zoom® 56K Product Awarded "Tester's Choice" by Data Communications Magazine
Zoom/FaxModem 56Kx achieves "highest average rate" among 18 competing 56K modems

Boston, MA, August 12, 1997 - The Zoom/FaxModem™ 56Kx (external) was named "Tester's Choice" by Data Communications Magazine in a test among eighteen competing 56K modems in the August '97 issue. The National Software Testing Laboratory (NSTL), the official product testing lab for Data Communications, evaluated ten 56K modems based on the K56flex® chip set and eight based on the competing x2™ chip set.

"The award is a significant endorsement of the extraordinary balance of features, performance, ease of use, and price --in short, value-- that Zoom Telephonics provides to networking professionals," said Data Communications Publisher, Joseph Braue. "Our readers, who design, implement and manage networks, respect the Tester's Choice logo and use the award to help them decide which networking products to buy."

"This is an important and timely award for Zoom," said Frank Manning, Zoom's President and CEO. "The NSTL and Data Communications are highly-respected throughout the industry. Zoom's Engineering Department works hard to optimize our circuit designs and board layout for performance, and we appreciate recognition for the care we take in designing great products."

According to the review, the Zoom/FaxModem 56Kx had "the highest average rate across all tests," and was the fastest K56flex modem evaluated.

The Zoom/FaxModem 56Kx was also the fastest K56flex model in terms of raw throughput, the rate achieved when handling uncompressible data.

Significantly, the tests confirmed that K56flex modems were more reliable than x2 products, handling impaired lines with fewer errors. While the K56flex modems completed 94 percent of all impairment or noise tests successfully, the x2 modems completed only 77 percent. "All x2 modems flunked at least one of the impairment tests," according to the review.

K56flex is backed by central site equipment manufacturers representing about 70% of the installed base of central site modem ports. In addition, over 2,700 Internet Service Providers in the U.S. alone have announced their support of K56flex.

Data Communications is read by over 140,000 network professionals worldwide. It consistently ranks as the best-read and most-useful industry publication among communications professionals who design, implement, and manage enterprise-wide networks. Launched in September 1991, the Tester's Choice awards are a symbol of product excellence.

Zoom Telephonics designs, produces, and markets products that link people and their personal computers through the world's largest network, the international telephone network, and connected networks including the Internet and corporate local area networks. Zoom products are produced in Boston, Massachusetts and sold worldwide. Zoom Telephonics is publicly traded on Nasdaq (NASDAQ: ZOOM). The Zoom Web Site is www.zoomtel.com