APRICOT 2004, KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - February 25, 2004 - Cisco Systems® is showcasing state-of-the-art technologies that help service providers build Next-Generation Converged Packet Networks at APRICOT 2004 in Kuala Lumpur. APRICOT is the Asia Pacific region's premier Internet event where the movers and shakers in the industry gather to discuss policies as well as get updates and training on next-generation internetworking technologies.

As one of the pioneers of APRICOT in 1996, Cisco continues its support for the event with Platinum sponsorship this year and a strong line-up of engineering talent. Cisco engineers such as Dr Philip Smith, Monique Morrow, Jim Thompson, John Evans, Rajiv Asati, Ray Irani and Alvarez Santiago will lead and participate in the conferences, tutorials and workshops including the APRICOT Network Training Workshop.

"APRICOT is a very important event for the Asia Pacific internetworking industry and it is indeed an honor for it to be held in Kuala Lumpur for the second time in three years. Cisco's commitment to our service provider customers in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region is underlined by our level of support for this event. We look at APRICOT as an opportunity for Cisco to share with its customers the very latest in our networking innovations," said Johnson Khoo, managing director, Malaysia, Cisco Systems.

Next Generation Converged Packet Network

The centerpiece of Cisco's technology showcase is its strategy for Service Providers to build Next-Generation Converged Packet Networks. This enables service providers to migrate to converged packet network infrastructures capable of accommodating divergent technologies such as ATM, Frame Relay and TDM, while creating a platform to launch new revenue generating services. These new services include (i) voice, data and entertainment through a variety of access devices; (ii) end-to-end solutions for network management consisting of support, interoperability and integrated management; and (iii) subscriber provisioning and management for all access options.

"Next-Generation Converged Packet Networks present tremendous opportunity to service providers both in terms of incremental revenues and as a key competitive differentiator, aiding customer retention and expansion. The business case for such networks becomes stronger when you factor in the reduced operational costs for the entire infrastructure," said Sharat Sinha, Director of Service Provider Marketing, Asia Pacific, Cisco Systems.

Broadband Infrastructure

Cisco will also showcase its solutions for Broadband Infrastructure at APRICOT. The Internet is moving from dial-up modems and slow connections to a world of high-speed broadband using a variety of technologies. Cisco has a full range of broadband innovations, which includes Metro Ethernet, Cable and digital subscriber line (DSL) infrastructure solutions for Service Providers. These solutions help enable home and remote office access; Ethernet for wired in-building access; and high-speed wireless access solutions.

Innovation Leadership

Also evident throughout Cisco's showcase at APRICOT are the results of its commitment to research and development and its continued focus on pushing the envelope of networking innovation. One example is IPv6. In June 2000, Cisco unveiled an IPv6 roadmap in 3 phases. By May 2001, Cisco announced the availability of IPv6 features in Cisco IOS® Software across the widest breadth of platforms in the industry, marking the completion of Phase I. Phase II, completed in December 2001, included enhancements to the IPv6 feature set as well as added support for the Cisco 12000 series. Phase III included deliverables such as OSPFv3 and IPv6 QoS with on-going developments to DHCPv6 Prefix Delegation, IPv6 Multicast and NAT-PT enhancements.

In May 2003, the availability of Cisco IOS 12.3 Mainline that integrates the IPv6 feature set from 12.2(15)T enables production deployment for all Cisco-based networks. With advanced functionality such as Multi-Topology IS-IS for IPv6, IPv6 Provider Edge over MPLS (6PE) support and Broadband Access feature set for IPv6 as part of its offering, Cisco delivers the industry's most mature IPv6 solution. This solution now enables large-scale deployment of applications such as peer-to-peer and home networking services, which require the universal addressing capability of IPv6.

For more information on Cisco's participation at APRICOT 2004, please go to: http://www.cisco.com/asiapac/events/apricot/.