SAN JOSE, Calif. - October 8, 1997 - In an effort to offer small and medium-sized businessescomplete and affordable Internet access solutions, Ameritech today announced it will resellCisco Systems routers as part of its new Ameritech Network Connection package offering.
Ameritech will offer the Ameritech Network Connection package, a bundled solution developedspecifically to provide small and medium-sized businesses with easy, high-speed communicationssolutions to connect to the Internet. The Network Connection package includes Internet access,email capabilities, a dynamic IP address, news feeds and Netscape Navigator browser software. To provide small and medium-sized businesses with a complete solution, Ameritech will alsooffer design, installation and maintenance services using Cisco equipment, making it easier andfaster for customers to gain Internet access.
For companies without an existing LAN, the Network Connection package includes the Cisco 776router. The router's built-in, four-port Ethernet hub creates a shared Ethernet medium for upto four computer workstations, enabling multi-user, simultaneous access to the Internet. Forsmall and medium-sized businesses that already have an existing LAN and would like that LANconnected to the Internet, the Cisco 766 router offers support for up to 1,500 users andprovides a high-speed access gateway to the Internet. In addition, two basic telephone portsare provided to allow the integration of voice services such as fax and modem access over asingle ISDN phone line.
"The Internet has become an increasingly important competitive differentiator for businesses,and we felt it was important to expand our small and medium-sized business solutions to includeinexpensive turnkey Internet access," said Saul Hernandez, vice president of Small BusinessServices for Ameritech. "Because Cisco is the leading provider of reliable, secure andscalable Internet solutions for businesses of all sizes, its routing solutions were the idealchoice to offer our customers."
The Ameritech Network Connection package is the first of Ameritech Small Business Services'Internet solutions. These solutions build on Ameritech's expertise in communications servicesand are aimed at providing small businesses with the tools they need to increase communicationeffectiveness both internally and externally, while improving the way they do business.
"We are pleased Ameritech chose Cisco products for its new Internet access offerings," saidHoward Charney, senior vice president of the Small/Medium Line of Business at Cisco Systems. "These new Internet solutions will provide Ameritech customers with the additional competitiveadvantage they need for long-term growth and success."
About Ameritech
Ameritech (NYSE: AIT) serves millions of customers in 50 states and 40 countries. Ameritechprovides a full range of communications services, including local and long distance telephone,cellular, paging, security monitoring, cable TV, electronic commerce, online services and more. One of the world's 100 largest companies, Ameritech (www.ameritech.com) has 68,000 employees,one million shareowners and $23 billion in assets.
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is theworldwide leader in networking for the Internet. athttp://www.cisco.com.
Cisco IOS is a trademark, and Cisco, Cisco Systems, and the Cisco Systems logo areregistered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and certain other countries. All othertrademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.
