News Release

Cisco Systems Continues to Provide Richest Set of Network Services

Cisco IOS Software Release 12.0 Delivers Network
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Dec 21, 1998

Cisco IOS Software Release 12.0 Delivers Network Intelligence, Quality of Service, Voice, Scalability and Security



SAN JOSE, Calif. -- December 21, 1998 -- Continuing its path of offering the industry's most complete Internet services platform, Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced the availability of Cisco IOS. software release 12.0. Cisco IOS software enables Internet services such as advanced Quality of Service (QoS), voice, scalability and security. Release 12.0 is an enhancement of the richest set of integrated Internet services available.

Cisco IOS software release 12.0 provides customers with the stability of proven Cisco software and industry-leading enhancements that power new applications. Applications include the creation of distribution channels with networked commerce applications, support for distance-learning activities to train employees, the ability to enhance day-to-day business communications with the integration of voice/video and data, etc.

"With Cisco IOS software 12.0, we again are setting the standard for Internet software; we are raising the bar by delivering a fully integrated platform with the most advanced Internet services for successful deployment of mission-critical applications," said Denise Peck, vice president, Cisco IOS marketing, Cisco Systems. "Businesses recognize that future competitive advantage depends on successful deployment of intelligent networks based on sophisticated, highly specialized Internet services with the capabilities to support both current and emerging business critical and innovative applications."

Cisco IOS software delivers these advanced network services to small and medium, enterprise, and service provider businesses worldwide. Operating from end-to-end, Cisco IOS software provides the functionality to build scalable, intelligent, application-aware networks.

Integrated Quality of Service, Voice, Scalability and Security

Quality of Service: QoS enhancements integrated with Cisco IOS software prioritize network traffic into different classes of service (CoS) allowing managers to assign policies such as class of service and bandwidth management technologies. In particular, Cisco's IP-ATM CoS capability is part of Cisco's ongoing investment in solutions that bring the richness of Cisco IOS software to customers with investments in both IP and ATM networks.

Voice: Cisco IOS software services allow seamless delivery of voice over IP, voice over FrameRelay and voice over Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM); increasingly customers can integrate data, voice and video on an end-to-end basis. These voice features enable Cisco products to carry live voice traffic such as telephone and faxes over an IP network and allow toll bypass, remote PBX presence over wide area networks and unified voice and data trunking.

Scalability: Cisco IOS software release 12.0 contains further enhancements to connectivity and scalability features that improve customers' ability to scale their networks quickly and flexibly to meet new application demands and global growth. The newly integrated Cisco Express Forwarding is an advanced IP technology that optimizes network performance and scalability while providing sophisticated network services such as detailed billing information and policy enforcement.

Security: Cisco IOS software provides end-to-end security and data privacy features that provide for the safety and integrity of customers' information throughout their networks. Release 12.0 includes advanced secure access features such as Integrated Firewall, Router/Route authentication, and the industry's leading implementation of IPSec (Internet Protocol security), forging the way for virtual private networks and Internet commerce.

Network Optimization and Year 2000 Compliance

Cisco IOS Release 12.0 provides optimization services that are embedded within the network - transparent to the users and servers. These services provide for transparent addition of performance-enhancing network caches and optimized resource and services location globally across a network. Release 12.0 includes Cisco's transparent caching protocol, Web Cache Control Protocol (WCCP), and the load-balancing DistributedDirector software agent. Both reduce the cost and time associated with accessing the Internet.

Release 12.0 is Year 2000-compliant.

With integrated QoS, voice, scalability and security services, Cisco IOS software provides the richest set of end-to-end services available.

Availability

Cisco IOS software release 12.0 is now available on Cisco's router and switching platforms.

Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is theworldwide leader in networking for the Internet.

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