Cisco Delivers Industry's Highest Performance Internet Routers.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 31, 2001

Cisco 12400 Internet routers' unique distributed architecture provide

unmatched scalability, the highest performance, and the industry's

only guaranteed priority packet delivery

Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced the Cisco 12410 and Cisco 12416 Internet routers -- the two newest members of Cisco's industry-leading 12000 Series Internet router family. These platforms will enable service providers to scale their networks to core optical speeds and to provide the bandwidth necessary for next-generation IP services. Along with these new platforms, Cisco also introduced a 1 port OC-192c/STM-64c Packet over SONET/SDH (POS) line card, a 4 port OC-48c/STM-16c POS line card, and a 320 Gbps chassis upgrade kit.

With the highest scalability and highest performance available for core packet routers today, the Cisco 12400 routers are an integral part of the Cisco IP+Optical strategy. Both the Cisco 12410 and 12416 provide an approach to core and edge networking that merges the bandwidth and associated cost-savings offered through optical networking with access to a multitude of services and content provided by IP.

Cisco's flagship 12400 Internet routers are based on a unique distributed architecture that delivers the IP+Optical networking foundation and service building blocks that will accelerate the evolution of the Internet. With the industry's only distributed system architecture, the Cisco 12400 is the premier platform for building true 10Gbps IP infrastructure. Key features include:

-- Highest scalability -- offers twice as many 10Gbps-enabled platforms as
competitive systems. The 12416 has twice the capacity of competitive systems,
contributing to a twofold improvement in POP scalability;

-- Highest performance -- delivers line rate performance for IP and MPLS (Multi
Protocol Label Switching) forwarding in a fully loaded system with sustained
throughput for all prefix sizes. A dedicated 25 Mpps (million packet per
second) forwarding engine delivers 25 percent greater performance per slot than
competitive solutions;

-- Only guaranteed priority packet delivery -- the only system that delivers
priority-based congestion control, dedicated low latency queuing, and packet
sequence integrity under all conditions required by premium services such as
voice over IP (VoIP).

In addition, the 12400 Internet routers are the only routing platforms to support industry-standard Very Short Reach (VSR) interfaces, which reduce intra-POP connectivity costs up to 50 percent and will accelerate the worldwide deployment of OC-192c/STM-64c technology.

The Cisco 12000 series provides the best investment protection in the industry. Both the Cisco 12410 and 12416 accept any 12000 series line card ever made, preserving the extensive investment in 12000 technology deployed by service providers worldwide. In addition, the Cisco 12416 is based on the same chassis as the Cisco 12016; existing Cisco 12016 systems can be field upgraded to a Cisco 12416 by simply swapping in new switch fabric cards.

Unlike competitors whose centralized architectures compromise performance, scalability, and packet sequence integrity, the Cisco 12000 series is based on a superior distributed architecture. This Internet-proven technology enables service provider customers such as Sprint, America On Line, and 360networks to scale their Internet points of presence (POPs) to accelerate their service velocity and offer high margin services such as voice over IP (VoIP) and video on demand (VoD). Service providers looking to scale their IP infrastructure while ensuring profitability are looking to the Cisco 12400 Internet routers to form the core of their IP backbones to meet the rapidly growing needs of businesses and private customers.

"With the new 10Gbps capabilities, Cisco is providing the highest performance router architecture available. The Cisco 12000 series' unique distributed architecture supports seamless system and service scalability while maintaining performance and reducing networking costs and complexity," said Christopher Clark, vice president IP product management for Sprint. "We are looking forward to taking full advantage of the benefits Cisco's networking capabilities and OC-192c interfaces in order to provide our customers with the value-added services and attractive price-performance they've come to expect from Sprint."

"Cisco reinforces its market leadership and momentum with its IP+Optical initiative," said Deb Mielke, principal analyst, Treillage Network Strategies, Inc. "Service providers are thirsty for increased bandwidth across the edge and core in order to deliver next generation of profitable services to the market. The Cisco 12000 series distributed architecture is truly the key to the success of these products. The architecture advantage allows for guaranteed priority packet delivery, the highest performance, and the ability to scale to unparalleled heights. Cisco proves once again why it is the leader -- it knows how to innovate and build the right products to meet the demands of the ever-changing market."

The Cisco 12410 Internet router is a carrier-class routing platform that enables service providers to smoothly migrate their network infrastructure to 10Gbps with 200 Gbps switch fabric in a two-system-per-rack form factor. The Cisco 12410 offers the highest density of 10Gbps slots in a half rack system. The Cisco 12416 Internet router is a 16 slot, full rack chassis with a 320 Gbps switch fabric. Designed for the highest capacity POPs, the Cisco 12416 delivers a twofold improvement in POP scalability over competitive 10Gbps systems. Both systems support the new 1 port OC-192c/STM-64c POS line card and 4-port OC-48c/STM-16c POS line card.

"Cisco is unique in combining best in class products with all of the elements required to break through the services bandwidth barrier and enable high-margin value added services end-to-end: platforms, services, partners, and support," said Roland Acra, vice president and general manager, Public Carrier IP Group at Cisco. "Cisco will continue to build on its market and technology leadership by bringing IP and optical technologies together and by developing innovative technologies such as MPLS, Packet over SONET/SDH (POS) and VSR to scale the next generation IP+Optical network infrastructure."

Pricing and Availability

The Cisco 12410 and 12416 Internet routers are available today beginning at $120,000 and $130,000 respectively.

(See other related IP+Optical announcements made today: Cisco Introduces Next Level of IP+Optical Strategy; Cisco Supercharges Metropolitan Optical Transport by Extending High Bandwidth Services to the Network Edge.)

About Cisco IP+Optical Solutions

Cisco is the first company to deliver scalable IP+Optical networking solutions for today's Internet-driven marketplace. Cisco's IP+Optical strategy builds on Cisco's leadership in IP routing, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), optical networking technology and content/services intelligence. Cisco is uniquely positioned to enable service providers to reduce operational costs and increase service velocity, empowering them to deploy a new generation of highly competitive New World services.

About Cisco Systems

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

Note to Editors: Cisco, Cisco IOS, Cisco Systems, the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.