News Release

Delivery of Cisco QoS Policy Manager Completes Phase Two of CiscoAssure Policy Networking Initiative

Centralized QoS Policy Solution Enables Application-Aware
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Mar 29, 1999

Centralized QoS Policy Solution Enables Application-Aware Networks



SAN JOSE, Calif. -- March 29, 1999 -- Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced delivery of its Quality of Service (QoS) policy solution facilitating application-aware networking across the enterprise. Through centralized policy control and automated policy deployment, Cisco QoS Policy Manager allows network administrators to protect business-critical application performance.

The need for high availability and predictable performance for business-critical applications combined with the demand for advanced voice and multimedia services, mandates differentiated handling of network traffic. By leveraging existing Cisco IOS QoS mechanisms in Cisco LAN/WAN switching equipment, the Cisco QoS Policy Manager now enables network administrators to protect key applications through rapid policy configuration and distribution.

Key features of Cisco QoS Policy Manager include an easy-to-use graphical user interface that enables consistent definition of traffic classification and QoS enforcement policies, a powerful rules-based policy builder, integrated policy validation and error reporting, a policy distribution manager that reliably downloads policies to network devices, and support for a wide range of Cisco devices and Cisco IOS software releases. QoS Policy Manager integrates with CiscoWorks2000 shortening setup time to activate QoS policies. QoS Policy Manager eliminates tedious and error prone device-by-device configuration of QoS intelligence in switches and routers, giving network managers a much more efficient way to deploy QoS policies that achieve application service-level differentiation.

"By reducing the complexity of QoS through policy-based automation with evolving solutions like Cisco QoS Policy Manager, users can more easily transition networks from unconstrained link utilization toward more consistent application performance," said Bruce Robertson, vice president, adaptive infrastructure strategies for META Group. "Such service-level differentiation is not only increasingly critical to eliminate unpredictable performance for business-critical applications running in corporate networks, but it will also be required to enable data, video and voice integration over a common network infrastructure."

CiscoAssure Phase II Completion

The CiscoAssure initiative was announced last year to empower network managers with the products and services required to build high-performance, application-aware networks. CiscoAssure includes solutions that deliver enterprise-wide user name and address registration, automated distribution of policies for network-wide QoS, security and voice, and the continued extension of Cisco's intelligent internet services solutions.

Delivery of a broad scope of products fulfill the initial CiscoAssure roadmap objectives, as follows: Cisco Network Registrar supplies IP name and address registration with directory integration; Cisco IOS release 12.0 and Cisco's router platforms have unprecedented QoS, security, and voice features; the Cisco Catalyst. 6000 establishes the enterprise platform for voice and QoS-ready LAN switching; Cisco Security Manager provides policy-based configuration of security services; and Cisco QoS Policy Manager offers policy-based configuration of QoS.

Pricing and Availability

Cisco QoS Policy Manager has a list price of $25,000 and is available to order. See http://www.cisco.com/ciscoassure for further information.

Cisco Systems

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