Partnership Offers Complete End-To-End IP-Based Infrastructure for New and Existing Telecommunications Operators
LONDON, UK -- April 22, 1999 -- Cisco Systems Inc. and Unisys, the global information solutions provider, have announced today the first ever Internet Protocol (IP) network 'in a box' aimed at new telecommunications carriers and existing operators looking to break into new markets. The arrangement combines Unisys integration expertise with Cisco solutions to offer telecommunications operators a complete end-to-end carrier grade IP solution, including an IP-based backbone network and a full portfolio of service solutions such as: billing, financials, customer care and the deployment, management and maintenance of IP networks. Unisys and Cisco will invest $2 million in building a joint centre of excellence to be launched in July 1999, which will demonstrate this new offering to the market.
"Unisys and Cisco have taken their individual expertise and the combined strength of a proven relationship to bring to the market a package that hasn't been available in this way before," said Chris McDermott, Vice President and General Manager of the Communications Market Sector Group for Unisys. "While the offering will appeal to established carriers looking for an advanced technology route into new markets, the real step forward is what we can offer to new carriers. Effectively we can hand anyone wanting to start a telecommunications business the entire infrastructure in an Internet package."
"Growth in data traffic across carriers' backbones means that soon voice traffic will be a minority of total traffic," said Paul Mountford, Vice President of the Service Provider Line of Business, Cisco Systems EMEA. "This means that the underlying telecommunications networks will shift from traditional circuit switched technology to IP-based networks. Cisco is leading the deployment of these new networks to deliver data, voice and video across a single infrastructure. Not only will this be the most cost-effective solution but it will also enable a vast range of new value-added services as data and voice converge."
With many countries already seeing more data than voice traffic across communications networks, the need to move from telephone switching to packet-based switching is becoming a priority. The issue to date with voice over IP networks has been that mixed voice and data networks produce poor quality real-time voice transmissions. However, with the latest development in Cisco's Internetwork Operating System (IOS) environment, quality of service is allocated according to traffic needs, thus guaranteeing end-to-end carrier grade quality for all applications.
Under this initiative Cisco will provide its advanced range of packet based switching technologies for both public network switching and enterprise gateways. Unisys will use this technology to build the networks and surround them with the information infrastructure of service solutions.
"Unisys achieved Global Support Partner status with Cisco in early 1998 as a result of our advanced expertise in every aspect of supporting the Cisco product line," said Bert Schaap, VP for sales, Unisys Global Customer Services. "We have now conducted many successful network integration projects and we see this new initiative as a natural extension of the Global Support Partnership."
About Unisys
Unisys is more than 33,000 employees helping customers in 100 countries apply information technology to solve their business problems. Unisys solutions are based on a broad portfolio of global information services including electronic business, systems integration including custom and "repeatable" application solutions, outsourcing, Microsoft Windows NT services, network services, and multivendor maintenance and support, coupled with enterprise-class servers and associated middleware, software and storage. Repeatable solutions are focused on key vertical markets including financial services, transportation, telecommunications, government, publishing, and other commercial markets. The company is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, in the Greater Philadelphia area.Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet.Cisco, Cisco IOS, Cisco Systems and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.
