SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 25, 2000 - Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced the first products in an integrated access platform that enables service providers to quickly and cost-effectively deploy multiple services to small- and medium-sized businesses and branch offices. The Cisco 6700 Series Multi-Function Access Platform (MFAP) is a carrier-class family of products that integrate voice and data traffic and consolidate multiple network elements and services into a single, easy-to-manage platform. The platform simplifies network deployment and enables service providers such as Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs), Interexchange Carriers (IXCs) and Integrated Communications Providers (ICPs) to reduce network costs and expand and deploy new service offerings quickly, thereby increasing profitability. In addition, the Cisco 6700 Series enables service providers to easily migrate to New World packet-based solutions while maximizing existing circuit-based offerings.

"Most service providers currently maintain separate infrastructures to support voice and data services, but as competition increases, they are looking for ways to reduce their networking costs," said Ron Westfall, Senior Analyst at Current Analysis, a leading industry analyst firm. "Integrated Access Devices (IADs) that enable service providers to combine voice and data infrastructures and offer different types of bundled access services in a single architecture will be a particularly attractive way to lower operating costs while expanding services to new or existing customers."

The Cisco 6700 Series MFAP is based on a groundbreaking multi-fabric switching architecture developed to meet increasing demand for faster Internet access and other high-bandwidth services. The platform delivers an end-to-end network access solution that simplifies service provider provisioning and management efforts by decreasing the number of network elements. It also dramatically reduces inventory investment through an open architecture that enables line cards to be shared between the products. The Cisco 6700 Series integrates voice and data traffic from various sources including routers and private branch exchanges (PBXs), as well as service types including T1, ISDN, SONET and ATM. This allows service providers to maximize existing copper or optical infrastructures with high-density voice services - for vital investment protection - while enabling them to strategically migrate to New World, broadband transport and xDSL services to meet customer demand and industry standards.

"The Cisco 6700 Series demonstrates Cisco's continued commitment to the New World vision of data and voice conversion into a single network," said Tim McShane, Senior Director of DSL and IAD Marketing at Cisco. "This new platform, which came out of the acquisition of Fibex, fulfills a key need for service providers who need to maximize voice services, but are looking for cost-effective ways to increase their revenue through new packet-based services."

The first products in the Cisco 6700 Series Multi-Function Access Platform are the Cisco 6732 Full Access Device and the Cisco 6705 Integrated Access Device (IAD). The Cisco 6732 product is designed for central office (CO) and remote terminal (RT) applications and serves large service provider applications. The Cisco 6705 IAD interoperates with the Cisco 6732 chassis and is designed for RT and customer premise equipment (CPE) applications. Key features of the Cisco 6700 Series MFAP include integrated voice and data; TDM and ATM protocol interface support; GR-303 & TR-008 traffic grooming; xDSL service; SONET transport; and digital cross connects (3/1/0). The platform complies with all relevant Telcordia, NEBS, and UL standards and is certified for co-location with Class 5 switches using GR-303 and TR-008.

The Cisco 6700 Series MFAP is managed by an IP-based element management system (EMS) that enables service providers to provision Cisco 6700 Series nodes either locally or remotely. The Cisco 6700 Series EMS is based on a centralized Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) architecture and contains an easy-to-learn-and-operate graphical user interface (GUI) that enables service providers to cost-effectively and rapidly provision, manage and monitor the network.

Pricing and Availability

List pricing for entry-level configurations of the Cisco 6732 Full Access Device and 6705 Integrated Access Device is $9,000 and $5,000, respectively. Both products are available now.