Cisco Assists Service Providers with Advanced Network Preparation, Staging and Deployment; Total Implementation Solutions Speed Time to Market for New World Services.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 19, 1999--Cisco Systems, Inc. today introduced the first phase of Total Implementation Solutions (TIS), a program that provides turnkey services to support service providers through the deployment of advanced networks and reduce time to market for high-demand New World services.

The Network Implementation Program, the first of three Total Implementation Solutions offerings, provides service providers with an end-to-end proposition that takes them from network design and personnel training, all the way to service deployment and revenue generation. Future offerings of TIS will address other network implementation solutions for systems and applications.

"Service providers implementing advanced technologies are increasingly looking for design, staging, and project management assistance from outside experts," said Richard Brewer, program manager of International Data Corporation's Network Support, Integration, and Outsourcing Services program. "Through its Total Implementation Solutions offering, Cisco has demonstrated its commitment, in coordination with its key integrator partners, to meeting the advanced consulting and implementation needs of its global service provider customers."

Cisco's Network Implementation Program is a comprehensive, fully integrated solution enabling service providers to launch services in a competitive time frame. Network Implementation Program managers manage the extensive resources required to successfully deploy a new service, while focusing on keeping the costs low and accelerating service delivery.

The Network Implementation Program enables service providers to deploy new networks and deliver new services in a cost-effective, efficient manner, and yet, remain focused on the area where their success in measured - meeting or exceeding their customers' expectations.

"With close cooperation with Cisco, we have been able to progress from business plan and concept to a full network rollout in less than three months," said Stig Johansson, CEO of Carrier1.

Cisco organized Network Implementation Program into three components:

Engineer, Furnish and Install (EF&I); staging; and network implementation services.

With the EF&I component, Cisco's fully licensed engineers perform the physical site set-up and site engineering. Cisco engineers and certified partners address all site preparation issues, including the construction of an entire facility if necessary.

Once the facilities are prepared, the service provider network implementation enters the staging component of the program. The staging component helps a service provider ensure a smooth network deployment by pre-assembling, configuring and testing each node prior to shipment. The service provider's equipment moves straight from manufacturing to a staging cell for system configuration and testing. Cisco loads all hardware, software and system configurations; validates all the functionality; and ships the components according to the service provider's specific instructions.

As the equipment begins to arrive at the service provider's location, Cisco project managers work on site with the service provider to install the equipment and prepare it for service delivery. This is the network implementation service component of the TIS.

"Cisco's goal is to move beyond simply offering discrete components and is focused instead on providing solutions." said Clayton Reed, vice president of sales and marketing for Cisco's Customer Advocacy office. "The TIS-Network Implementation Program demonstrates our commitment to focusing on helping service providers more effectively take advantage of new world opportunities. The solution enables service providers to get to market quickly, use resources efficiently and ensure a high quality network implementation."

About Cisco Systems 

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco news and information are available at http://www.cisco.com.

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