CANBERRA, Australia - October 31, 2003 - Cisco Systems® has joined with Logical Australia to provide an Internet Protocol (IP) Communications network for the 2003 Healthpact 9th Australian Masters Games. The network will provide voice and data communications for the Games and will help reduce network operating expenses.

The network will connect the three Masters Games operational sites: the Games Centre, Games Headquarters and Games Accreditation Centre. The network will run the Cisco® IP telephony solution in the Games Centre, Games Headquarters and the Sport Office.

By selecting Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data) as the communications backbone for the event, organisers are able to take advantage of reduced operational costs by consolidating data and voice on one network. The network will also support the Master Games' accreditation system, as well as the secure posting of results in real-time to the Games Website at www.amg2003.com.

"We needed a solution that was easy to install, maintain and reconfigure. Cisco was able to provide an IP-based telephony and data system that could significantly reduce our operational costs and allow further application deployment," said Lachlan Clark, Australian Masters Games general manager.

Cisco has sold more than 60,000 IP phones in Australia during the past two years to a range of enterprise, service provider, small and medium-sized business customers, helping them to not only reduce the cost of communications but also to more efficiently expand their networks.

Jeff Sheard, director of IP Enterprise Sales, Cisco Australia and New Zealand, said; "From lower cost of ownership, through simplified wiring and maintenance, to increased organisational flexibility and efficiency, network convergence is making a real impact for The Australian Masters Games and other organizations."

The Cisco solution is based on Cisco Catalyst® 3500 Series switches, Cisco CallManager, Cisco 7940 and 7960 series IP phones and Cisco 2600 Series routers. The solution will be fully secured by Cisco IP Security firewalls and will provide a wide-area network (WAN) for the Games Masters.

"For a dynamic environment, like the Masters Games, it's important that the system is designed for any and all eventualities, and securely managed and maintained for optimal performance, 24x7. Logical is confident that, in conjunction with Cisco Systems, we have provided The Australian Masters Games with a fully functional, flexible, advanced technology solution," said Stuart Hendry, managing director at Logical Australia.

The Australian Masters Games will take place in Canberra from 31 October to 9 November 2003, and will feature more than 50 sports and 10,000 participants. The Australian Masters Games is the first large-scale sporting event in Australia in which IP telephony is a central element of the communications infrastructure.