SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 18, 2000 - Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced Configuration Express, a Web-based e-commerce system that streamlines the ordering, delivery and setup of New World services.
With Configuration Express, service providers can streamline the order process for a new managed service, allowing them to turn up services and generate new revenues quickly. Configuration Express provides Web-based software configuration, testing, custom labeling, custom documentation and direct shipment of customer premises equipment (CPE) to end-users, thereby providing a variety of benefits to service provider and customer. By automating equipment pre-configuration, service providers can scale to a large customer base without sacrificing personal attention, reduce configuration and installation times by as much as three weeks, eliminate errors, and save hundreds of dollars per deployed CPE unit. In addition, because CPE equipment is shipped directly from Cisco to the end user customer, service providers can eliminate warehousing, manual pre-configuration and truck rolls for high volumes of equipment shipped worldwide.
"When I was working on managed services for a major carrier, I felt the pain of deploying premises equipment, said Deb Mielke, President of Treillage Network Strategies. "What Cisco is doing with Configuration Express alleviates the problem to get the boxes out to the customer premises quickly and easily. Cisco is leading the industry with its business-to-business solution for carriers' customized CPE in high-volumes."
One of the first users of Configuration Express is British Telecom, which is rolling out Internet access services to customers using the full range of low end Cisco routers, including the Cisco 700, Cisco 800, Cisco 1600, Cisco 2600 and Cisco 3600 series routers. Configuration Express and the Cisco Internet Commerce Solutions (ICS) tools are used for automating the procurement, router configuration and drop ship process.
"With Configuration Express, BT customers have an edge over non-Cisco customers. We need to be able to roll out services quickly and reliably, and by moving our CPE ordering process to the Web, we can reduce costs, speed deployments, and better meet the needs of our customers," said Steve Malde, Head of Information Systems, BT Syncordia Solutions. "Both BT and Cisco have a long history of using the Web to streamline business processes. We are pleased to be part of this next step in revolutionizing communications."
"As the demand for New World services reaches new heights, service providers need to be able to increase the speed, efficiency and reliability with which they can deploy end user equipment. Configuration Express is a large step in that process and is essential to ensuring customer satisfaction," said Larry Lang, vice president of service provider marketing, for Cisco Systems. "Cisco can provide this capability as a result of our own experience in e-commerce."
Meeting Demands of High-Growth Markets
Configuration Express streamlines CPE deployments in high-growth markets such as the residential, small office/ home office (SOHO), and small-to-medium businesses. Cisco today offers Configuration Express with a broad portfolio of routers to enable service providers to select the best CPE for Internet connectivity and other data services:
- Cisco 600 Series for fast Internet access with integrated voice
- Cisco 700 Series for fast Internet access for multiple users of ISDN
- Cisco 800 Series for fast Internet and LAN access for simultaneous telephone, fax, and data communications
- Cisco 1600 Series for fast Internet and LAN access
- Cisco 2500 Series for fast Internet and LAN access with integrated router/hub and router/access server models
Pricing
Configuration Express is available to Cisco customers at no additional charge. Shipping and service charges remain the responsibility of the service provider.