Comdex 2000, LAS VEGAS (Booth L2503)Nov. 13, 2000 - Cisco Systems, Inc., today announced the Cisco Internet Mobile Office, a new initiative to provide mobile business professionals with secure, high-speed network access from public facilities. The Cisco Internet Mobile Office ties into the Cisco vision of providing easy, reliable, and secure access to the Interneton the move, at home, or at work. By providing mobile business professionals with convenient, easy access to their corporate network from locations including airports and airline lounges, convention centers, hotels and other hospitality venues, enterprises will realize increased productivity for their employees and controlled costs when employees access the corporate network while on the move.
Key to the Cisco Internet Mobile Office solution are wired and wireless products and technologies from Cisco including an end-to-end security solution based on the Cisco Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology, which supports secure remote-access computing. In addition, Cisco has aligned with a number of other technology and solution providers to offer a complete solution that delivers seamless connectivity between mobile professionals and their enterprise network. There are over 300 "hot spot" public-access locations where business professionals can access their networks through secure broadband Internet access while travelling.
Industry experts predict that rather than the market being driven by the emergence of new, personal Internet access devices, it is the enterprise business professional's computing demands that will bring "instant Internet" connectivity to a wider number and variety of public-access locations. "It's the mobile business professional who connects more often, for longer timeframes and who needs high levels of security, speed and ease of connection that will drive the mobility market," said Michael Speyer, Director of Small and Medium Business Communications, Yankee Group.
"Together with our service provider and technology alliances, the Cisco Internet Mobile Office will provide truly secure, wired and wireless Internet access in a wide variety of locations where business is conducted," said Charles Giancarlo, Senior Vice President of Cisco Systems' Commercial Line of Business. "When mobile business professionals begin to realize the breadth of public access facilities where they can now be productive, the real power of the Internet will be realized in many of these previously 'unconnected' spaces."
EDS is a Cisco Strategic Integrator Alliance partner and the first global systems integrator for the Cisco Internet Mobile Office. EDS will deliver the Cisco Internet Mobile Office through their Cisco Solutions Consulting organization in their E.solutions Line of Business. "EDS fully supports and shares Cisco's strategy to provide mobile business professionals with a seamless extension to their organization's internal network from public-access facilities," said John McCain, President of EDS' E.solutions Line of Business. "In today's fast paced and highly competitive workplace, you cannot afford to be out of touch with clients, coworkers, and partners. Beyond EDS' wireless solutions delivery capability through our Cisco Solutions Consulting Practice, EDS is deploying Cisco VPN and wireless technology to enable our employees to access the tools, people, and information they need-anytime, anywhere, anyhow."
Solution integrator Concourse Communications Group is also participating in the Cisco Internet Mobile Office initiative. Concourse is working with select service providers todeploy Cisco's wired and wireless networking products in public venues throughout the world. Airports currently deploying the Concourse/Cisco solution include JFK International and LaGuardia Airports in New York and Newark International Airport in New Jersey.
Cisco also announced strategic relationships with mobile access service providers CAIS Internet, Global Digital Media, MobileStar, and Wayport. These Cisco Powered Network service providers share Cisco's vision for deploying wired and wireless network infrastructure in the largest public access spaces throughout the world, to meet the high level of security, broadband, and ease of connection demands of mobile business professionals.
Technology alliances with CAIS Soft and iPass are two critical elements of the mobile broadband solution, offering subscriber gateway and roaming technologies, respectively. CAIS Soft's iPort technology facilitates the billing settlement of using the Internet on a "pay as you go" method and enables multiple service providers to provide centralized security, accounting, authorization, reporting, policy and management functionality.
In a related announcement today, Cisco and iPass Inc. announced the industry's first Global Broadband Roaming Service that enables a virtual global footprint for simplified, high-speed, secure access to corporate networks. Global Broadband Roaming will provide a single user interface through the iPassConnect and Cisco Secure VPN client software for users roaming across many broadband networks, while allowing companies to source their multi-network remote access from a single, global service provider. (For details, please refer to "Cisco and iPass Team on Industry's First Global Broadband Roaming Solution that Offers Simplified, High-Speed, Secure Access to Corporate Networks Worldwide").
Secure broadband access in public access locations will drive demand for simple, compelling mobile business applications that will enhance mobile business professional productivity. As such, Cisco announced a relationship with application service provider (ASP) Mimeo.com, an innovative on-demand digital printing and production solution that is optimized for mobile business professionals. Mimeo.com is the first of a series of application providers that will be part of the Cisco Internet Mobile Office initiative.
For additional information on the Cisco Internet Mobile Office initiative, including current hot spot locations and related products and technologies, visit the Cisco Internet Mobile Office Web site at www.cisco.com/go/mobileoffice.
