Dallas, TX and San Jose, CA, May 6, 1997 -- GTE and Cisco Systems, Inc.today announced a relationship that will build an end-to-end service networkwhich will enable GTE to rapidly deploy value-added services and drivenext-generation Internet Protocol (IP) offerings. This relationship will quicklycreate differentiated services for GTE customers while enabling GTE to reducetime to market, lower cost of ownership and simplify network management.
"GTE is making an end-to-end commitment to Cisco in key areas," said Charles R.Lee, GTE chairman and chief executive officer. "This commitment creates anopportunity to deploy an integrated service fabric that facilitates access tocompelling content, solutions and services." To support these services GTE willbuild a national network based on Cisco's Wide Area Network (WAN) ATM switches,high-end routers, and dial access platforms. GTE purchases could reach over $1billion of Cisco products for resale as bundled solutions and to support this newnational infrastructure over the next five years.
"This combination will create a fundamentally new offering in the marketplace,"said John Chambers, president and chief executive officer at Cisco. "GTE willhave leadership capabilities to provide integrated end-to-end services across alllayers of the network such as multimedia, quality, and security. Therelationship will accelerate the deployment of these and other services throughthe alignment of our core competencies."
In addition to large scale network deployment, this relationship will include product collaboration, systems enhancement and service creation projects. Through these projects, GTE will have the capability to redefine product andservice creation cycles and leverage Cisco's strengths in networking technologiesfor the Internet.
Cisco will also offer GTE an industry-leading portfolio of service and networkedsupport programs that will include installation and implementation services toquickly install and configure systems, maintenance services to ensure maximumsystem uptime and reliability, and access to the latest Cisco IOS(tm) softwareenhancements through Cisco's Web site.
About GTE
With revenues of more than $21 billion in 1996, GTE is one of the largestpublicly held telecommunications companies in the world. In the United States,GTE offers local and wireless service in 29 states and long-distance service inall 50 states. GTE was the first among its peers to offer "one-stop shopping" forlocal, long-distance and Internet access services. Outside the United States,where GTE has operated for more than 40 years, the company serves over 6.5million customers. GTE is also a leader in government and defense communicationssystems and equipment, directories and telecommunications-based informationservices, and aircraft-passenger telecommunications.
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO)is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. News and information areavailable at http://www.cisco.com.
Cisco IOS is a trademark, and Cisco, Cisco Systems, and the Cisco Systemslogo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and certainother countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the propertyof their respective owners.
