News Release

Cisco to Provide Advanced Network Edge Equipment to MCI WorldCom

MCI WorldCom Web Site SAN JOSE, Calif. -- December 15, 1998
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Dec 15, 1998



SAN JOSE, Calif. -- December 15, 1998 -- Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced a two-year agreement with MCI WorldCom to provide advanced Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) equipment designed to enhance the leading service provider's network edge.

MCI WorldCom plans to deploy Cisco BPX. 8600 series wide-area switches and Cisco MGX 8220 edge concentrators to enhance its network edge capability. With Cisco's industry-leading IP+ATM solutions deployed out to the network edge, MCI WorldCom is positioned to offer advanced services that are Web-based, network-enabled and give customers greater control of their communications experience.

"We're pleased to be working with Cisco which has played an important role in the development of our ever-expanding worldwide network," said Ron Beaumont, president, MCI WorldCom Operations and Technology. "Cisco shares our commitment to customers and our vision for meeting the explosive demand for IP-based applications that is driving much of our growth."

Service providers have identified the network edge as the strategic position from which to deploy new services, because the edge is where service providers directly interface with their enterprise customers' networking environments. With the rapid growth of IP-based applications, service providers are seeking solutions that enable them to meet the demand for IP-based services and deploy differentiated offerings from the network edge.

"The majority of the traffic on service provider ATM networks is IP based," said Don Listwin, executive vice president of Cisco Systems. "MCI WorldCom recognizes this trend and has selected Cisco's IP+ATM strategy to enable its vision of the Internet economy."

The Cisco BPX 8600 series wide-area switch is a standards-based ATM switch that supports broadband, IP+ATM, and broadband/narrowband service delivery. The BPX 8600 series integrates cleanly with OSS infrastructures, offering carrier-class reliability, industry-leading port density and the industry's highest IP scalability.

The MGX 8220 edge concentrator concentrates narrowband traffic for the Cisco BPX 8600 series and " + name +""; }); } //////////////End - Executives Landing Page Hot Fixes /////////////