TORONTO, ON - June 27, 2001 - Cisco Systems Canada today joined with Industry Canada and other industry leaders to launch ebiz.enable - an innovative online tool designed to help small and medium Canadian businesses successfully leverage e-Business opportunities.

"E-Business adoption and the connected enterprise are vitally important to Canada's competitiveness on the global stage," says Pierre-Paul Allard, Managing Director, Cisco Systems Canada Co., a member of the Canadian e-Business Opportunities Roundtable. "ebiz.enable delivers a comprehensive selection of information and services that will empower Canadian businesses to evaluate, investigate and implement winning e-Business strategies."

ebiz.enable, www.strategis.gc.ca/ebizenable, consolidates e-Business information and tools specifically designed to accelerate business success in today's connected Economy. In support of the initiative, Cisco Systems Canada is providing educational content and helping facilitate the site's "Ask The Expert" service, where questions from businesses on the subjects of security and connectivity will be answered by Cisco's technical experts.

e-Business: A winning strategy

"To compete in the global marketplace Canadian companies must take advantage of the digital tools that will keep them competitive," says Mr. Allard. "Canadian businesses - both large and small - must realize e-Business is not just about a web site or e-commerce, but is a winning strategy that can be incorporated across every business function. By embracing the full depth and breadth of e-Business, companies will dramatically improve their productivity, competitiveness, scalability - and render geography irrelevant," adds Mr. Allard.

According to a recent IDC study conducted on behalf of the Canadian e-Business Opportunities Roundtable's e-Business Acceleration team, (www.ebusinessroundtable.ca) Canadian businesses are narrowing the e-Business gap with the United States, but the disparity remains substantial. The study also revealed that Canadian small businesses continue to fall well behind their U.S. counterparts, and Canadian businesses in general tend to be more reluctant to embrace e-Business for sophisticated applications such as supply chain management or order processing and fulfillment.

About Cisco Systems Canada Co.

Cisco Systems is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Established in 1990, Cisco Systems Canada Co. has over 375 employees across Canada dedicated to sales and service. In addition, Cisco has approximately 400 employees at its research and development site in Ottawa, Ontario.

The Internet is changing the way people work, live, learn and play - and Cisco Systems is a primary agent of this change and a compelling example of the power of this revolution. By widely deploying business solutions based on the Internet, Cisco Systems realizes over $1.35 billion (US) per year in saved operating costs and increased productivity Cisco produces networking solutions for enterprise organizations, service providers and small/emerging businesses.

For Additional Information:

• Willa Black
  Cisco Systems Canada Co.
  416-306-7732
  Pager: 1-800-68-CISCO
  E-mail: wblack@cisco.com

• Gareth Pettigrew
  Strategic/Ampersand Inc.
  416-961-5595 ext. 428
  E-mail: gareth@stratamp.com