TORONTO, ONTARIO - June 27, 2000 - CiscoSystems Canada Co. today announced the British Columbia Ministry ofEducation has approved the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)certification as an "External Course". External Courses recognizeapproved curriculum and credentials developed outside the Ministry thatmeet the province's standard for difficulty and content. This meansstudents who have achieved CCNA status are entitled to GraduationProgram course credits toward secondary school graduation.

B.C.students who have CCNA certification will receive External Coursecredits for both Computer Certification Category Two 11 and ComputerCertification Category Two 12. Both are four credit courses at thegrade 11 and 12 level that meet the Science or Applied SkillsFoundation Studies requirements for graduation.

"The Ministryof Education is working with education organizations, and with parents,teachers and students, to offer unique learning opportunities forstudents in B.C. like the Cisco external credit courses," said JerryMussio, director, Student Assessment and Program Evaluation Branch,Ministry of Education. "B.C. is leading the way in helping studentsprepare for today's technological challenges by offeringministry-approved courses and other innovative education options."

Studentscan achieve CCNA certification in the regular classroom by completingthe Cisco Networking Academy Program which teaches students to design,build and maintain computer networks.

This is a significantmilestone for Cisco in Canada and demonstrates the level of acceptancethe CCNA Certification and the Networking Academy Program have receivedin B.C.," said Pierre-Paul Allard, general manager, Cisco SystemsCanada Co. "It is our hope providing students with the basics ofnetworking in secondary school or college will encourage them to pursuea career in the IT field. And we will continue to work hard with thehope that other provinces will follow the same course."

Theformat for the Networking Academy classes reflects the content:interactive lessons stored largely on the classrooms' Cisco Web server.The Academy design also accommodates diverse learning styles. For thosewho learn by reading, text is available. More visual learners can focuson the course material's extensive graphics and QuickTime movies. Topromote development of the personal skills that underpin successfulcareers, projects require students not only to resolve technical issuesbut also to successfully address network users' needs.

TheCisco Systems Networking Academy Program is currently offered in 20secondary schools in B.C. Until now, students taking the NetworkingAcademy Program in B.C. could only apply the credits they obtainedtoward the eight locally developed credits they are allowed forgraduation. This meant Networking Academy credits were accepted towardgraduation in some school boards but not in others. Now CCNA, thecertification students prepare for with the Networking Academy Program,will be accepted toward graduation across the province.

Since the launch of the program in Canada in June 1998, approximately 140 schools/colleges are involved in Canada.

For additional information about the Cisco Systems Networking Academy program in Canada please visit our web site at: http://www.cisco.com/ca/networking_academy/

About Cisco Systems Canada Co.

CiscoSystems - with $16.7 billion (US) in revenues and over 30,000 employees- is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Establishedin 1990, Cisco Systems Canada employs over 500 Canadians and isheadquartered in Toronto, with field sales and service offices acrossthe country. In addition, Cisco also has a state-of-the-art developmentcentre in Kanata, ON - focusing on the development of opticalinternetworking solutions to build the next generation of the Internetbackbone.

The Internet is changing the way people work,live, learn and play - and Cisco Systems Canada is a primary agent ofthis change and a compelling example of the power of this revolution.By widely deploying business solutions based on the Internet, CiscoSystems saves over $825 million (US) per year in operating costs, hasgrown revenues by 100% in two years and has increased customersatisfaction at the same time. Cisco produces networking solutions forenterprise organizations, service providers and small/emergingbusinesses. Additional information on the company and its products canbe found at http://www.cisco.com/ca.

For additional information:

• Tiffany Schier
  Strategic/Ampersand Inc.
  416-961-5595 ext. 406
  E-mail: tiffany@stratamp.com