HONG KONG -- September 9, 1999 -- Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, is joining forces with Hong Kong's leading integrated telecommunications company, Cable & Wireless HKT, to jointly develop 21st century communications services for Hong Kong that will bring tremendous benefits for the business community and the general public.
Roy Wilson, executive director, Cable & Wireless HKT, said: "We are delighted to further extend our partnership with Cisco. Combining our own advanced broadband resources and interactive capabilities with Cisco's global IP and e-commerce experience means that our customers can enjoy a broad, convenient array of choices in new and advanced telecommunications solutions and interactive services, at a substantially lower cost.
"We will continue to invest in developing people and technology to reinforce Cable & Wireless HKT's standing as a state-of-the-art provider of IP-enabled solutions and e-commerce services. With the strategic alliance with Cisco Systems, we have a very solid foundation. The ultimate benefits for Hong Kong businesses and consumers will be a wider selection of innovative value-added communications services that combine multimedia content with broadband delivery."
Richard Freemantle, Cisco's senior vice president for Asia Pacific, said: "This alliance represents the fulfillment of Cisco's vision of working with telecom carriers to transition from the world of circuit switching to the new, all-digital paradigm of packet-switched telecommunications."
According to Freemantle, deployment of new value-added services for Hong Kong customers will be accelerated by the alliance because of inherent advantages from Cisco's packet switching technology, including ease of management, quality of service and improved network efficiency.
"Cable and Wireless HKT is an acknowledged world leader in the communications market and has a reputation for forward thinking - the alliance between Cisco Systems and Cable & Wireless HKT will have a powerful impact in the marketplace and we are very pleased with this agreement," said Freemantle.
Freemantle believes that working with world-class carriers like Cable & Wireless HKT in different geographies brings significant benefits, both to Cisco and the carriers, and he has confidence that similar benefits will flow from the Cable & Wireless HKT alliance.
"It's a rich and rewarding relationship in which both parties benefit greatly. However, as always, the real winner is the customer," concluded Freemantle.
About Cable & Wireless HKT
Cable & Wireless HKT, a Cable & Wireless company, is Hong Kong's major full-service communications provider, marketing a full array of quality voice and data telecommunication services backed by a state-of-the-art, fully digital fiber-optic network. Services include basic telephony, mobile telephony, international calls, specialized fax and data products, value-added services, Internet access, multimedia services, satellite links and telecommunications equipment and systems.Apart from owning and operating Asia's largest commercial teleport, Cable & Wireless HKT is a pioneer in a wide range of communications solutions, such as launching the world's first fully digitized urban network, the world's first fiber-optic cable linking China, and recently the world's first interactive television services.
With customers in 70 countries, Cable & Wireless is a major global telecommunications business with revenue of around #8 billion in the year ended March 1999 and over 50,000 employees. Its businesses around the world offer a range of services spanning broadband data and Internet access, fixed and mobile voice, as well as interactive entertainment and information. Cable & Wireless' priority for expansion is the fast growing market of data and IP (Internet Protocol) services for business customers. Since November 1998, it has announced major investments in advanced networks in the US and Europe, the restructuring of Cable & Wireless Communications in the UK and has acquired full control of Cable & Wireless IDC in Japan to support this strategy. Cable & Wireless now holds a unique position in terms of global coverage and services to business customers.
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