Cisco Advances Carrier IP/MPLS Edge Portfolio

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 8, 2003 - Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), today announced enhancements to its industry-leading carrier IP/MPLS edge portfolio of products allowing service providers greater network efficiencies and the ability to further evolve their service portfolio with increased revenue-generating services for broadband, wireless, private line, and metro Ethernet.

New interfaces on the Cisco® 12000 Series Routers, significantly enhances its functionality at the network edge by integrating both core and edge functions onto one platform delivering up to an 80% reduction in power and rack space usage while decreasing operational costs for carriers.

Recent Yankee Group forecasts indicate the edge router market is expected to grow at a rate (CAGR) of 18% over the next five years eclipsing $3 billion in 2006. "Cisco's new series of high-performance edge interfaces for the Cisco 12000 and 7600 Series routers enable service providers to achieve greater network and operational efficiencies while evolving their service portfolio," said Mark Bieberich, senior analyst, Communications Network Infrastructure, the Yankee Group. "Cisco offers a comprehensive portfolio of carrier-class IP/MPLS edge platforms to meet the diverse business and technical requirements for service providers worldwide."

The new 4-Port OC-12c/STM-4c ATM IP Services Engine (ISE) line card greatly enhances the Cisco 12000 Series' ATM capabilities by allowing carriers to consolidate their core resources and converge transport of ATM traffic over a 10-Gbps IP/MPLS infrastructure. The 4-Port Gigabit Ethernet ISE line card advances the multi-gigabit peering capability of the Cisco 12000 Series and adds high-performance Ethernet aggregation. Both line cards are ideal for delivering comprehensive IPv6 features, IP quality of service (QoS) and advanced queuing for value-added, tiered service offerings.

"In the experimental VTHD++ network operated by France Telecom Research & Development, we are constantly looking for ways to deliver a better experience for our partners involved in this project. The new additions to the Cisco 12000 series edge portfolio advance service delivery, specifically using the IPv6 and QoS features in the ISE portfolio, allowing us to maximize functionality of our current system for both core and edge," said Lionel Thual, VTHD++ deployment manager, France Telecom Research & Development.

Complementing the Cisco 12000 Series enhancements are the new Cisco 7600 Series interfaces optimized for integrated Ethernet and private line services allowing carriers to consolidate existing private line services while introducing carrier Ethernet services. Powered by Cisco Adaptive Network Processing (ANP) technology the Cisco 12-Port Channelized T3/E3 (DSO) Optical Service Module (OSM), the 1-Port Channelized OC-12s/STM4-c (DSO) OSM, and the enhanced 4-Port Gigabit Ethernet OSM offer providers greater performance and flexibility in deploying new integrated Ethernet services while protecting existing investments made in the Cisco 7500 Series. Additionally, Cisco introduced the Cisco 7613 router, a 13-slot, 1/2 rack chassis for increased port density and capacity for carriers.

COLT, the leading European provider of business communication services, is receiving requests from the majority of its new customers for MPLS to be part of their solution. Daryl Szebesta, director of data services and systems outsourcing at COLT said: "COLT has already been selected by the financial services co-operative, SWIFT, to supply its IP network to SWIFT customers. Our use of Cisco's high performance equipment like the Cisco 7600 means COLT can continue to offer the kind of industry leading service its customers expect, ensuring flexibility and reliability in the solutions it delivers."

"IP/MPLS technologies are critical in evolving carrier infrastructures worldwide. Cisco's IP/MPLS edge portfolio is unmatched in the industry, offering carriers the most comprehensive range of service capabilities. These new additions on the Cisco 12000 and 7600 allow carriers such as France Telecom R&D and COLT to achieve greater efficiencies throughout their networks while realizing the greatest returns on their investments," said Mike Volpi, senior vice president, Routing Technology Group at Cisco Systems.

Pricing and Availability

The new interfaces for the Cisco 7600 Series are available now and list pricing starts at $44,000. List pricing on the Cisco 12000 Series interfaces starts at $75,000 with the Ethernet interface available now and the ATM interface is scheduled to be available in May.

For more information on the Cisco Carrier IP/MPLS Edge Portfolio visit: www.cisco.com/go/spedge