Winning schools to receive $1.5 million in cash, equipment and trainingto bring Internet communication to the classroom

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - June 11, 1996 - Continuing its commitment to helpschools connect to the Internet, Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced 150recipients of the 1996 Virtual Schoolhouse Grants. The awards, announcedat the National Education Computing Conference (NECC), recognize eachschool's efforts and vision to use the Internet in innovative ways toimprove curriculum in its classrooms.

Cisco awarded grants to 150 schools from 49 states. The grants will enableschools to enjoy Internet benefits such as access to libraries throughoutthe world, aid in research projects and cross-cultural studies, and theability to exchange ideas and studies with their peers.

Fifty Cisco employee evaluators selected the winning schools from more than1,000 applications that included plans and demonstrated ability to supportand deploy a networking site. Each grant recipient will receive cash,equipment and services valued at approximately $10,000, for a combinedtotal of $1.5 million - or three times the amount originally allocated whenthe Virtual Schoolhouse Grant Program was announced last fall. A personaldonation from Cisco Chairman John Morgridge allowed Cisco to give 150grants versus the 50 originally announced.

"We increased the money allocated to the program based on the overwhelmingneed to bring networked communications to the classroom," Morgridge said."We were impressed by the desire and commitment demonstrated by each of theapplicant schools to give students access to the new world of learning onthe Internet. By expanding the reach of the Virtual Schoolhouse Grantinitiative, Cisco will provide educators with more opportunity to leveragethe benefits of an online medium in their curriculum."

Grant recipients will receive $1,000 in cash, an access router, CiscoIOS(tm) software, Cisco IPeXchange(tm)software, service and customer support, and product training. In order toeducate those who are justlearning about internetworking, Cisco has emphasized ease-of-use andmanageability in its networking products for the grant program. All awardpackages will be distributed this week.

The Virtual Schoolhouse Grant winners will receive:

• Cash Award -$1,000 toward staff development

• Network hardware and software- A Cisco 1000 or2500 router; Cisco IOSsoftware, a suite of sophisticated networking software that ensuresrobust,reliable networks by supporting standard protocols and optimizing servicesand internetwork access; and CiscoInternet Junction software, whichprovides direct access for Novell clients to resources of the Internet (upto a $5,000 value)

• Service, training and maintenance - Two Cisco training coupons forfreeadmittance to Cisco courses, Introduction to Cisco Router Configuration(ICRC) and Configuring Cisco Access Servers (CCAS); and SMARTNetmaintenance support for one year (up to a $4,000 value)

All other participants will receive:

• Internet Enabler Kit - Cisco IPeXchange(tm)software, whichprovides direct access for Novell clients to resources of the Internet; and aPoint-and-Click Internetworking Education and Design CD, Cisco'sinteractive educational tool on internetworking ($1,095 value)

Grant applications and guidelines

Applications and guidelines for the 1997 Virtual Schoolhouse Grant Programwill be available in October 1996. For additional guidance in articulatinga technology plan for a school's network, visit the Cisco EducationalArchive and Resources Catalog home page (CEARCH) at http://sunsite.unc.edu/cisco. CEARCH wasestablished by Cisco and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill toprovide information on Cisco's education programs.

Cisco supports and participates in numerous educational networking andInternet organizations, including CAUSE, the Consortium for SchoolNetworking (COSN), EDUCOM, the International Society for Technology inEducation (ISTE), the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and theInternet Society.

The following list includes the 150 1996 Virtual Schoolhouse Grantwinners:

Cisco Systems