Cisco Delivers New, Automated Solution to Simplify Quality-of-Service Deployment; Automated QoS Solution for LANs and WANs.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 2003

Cisco Systems, Inc., today introduces Cisco AutoQoS, a new functionality that automates network quality of service (QoS), or packet prioritization and delivery. This capability in Cisco IOS(R) software benefits companies of all sizes by helping them to more easily deploy and manage QoS for Internet Protocol (IP) and reduce operating costs.

AutoQoS delivers a new function in Cisco IOS(R) Software and in the Cisco Catalyst(R) Operating System software (Catalyst OS) that simplifies implementation of IP QoS in local-area and wide-area networks (LANs and WANs). With AutoQoS, Cisco automates the IP infrastructure to implement voice over IP (VoIP) and IP communications from the wiring closet, across large enterprise IP backbones, and for service-provider-managed services. Small and medium-sized businesses benefit from the ability to more easily implement IP QoS in their networks, for IP telephony, and reduce their operating costs. This level of automation also allows Enterprise companies, which might not have the required staffing and resources, to implement QoS, and helps service providers that must enable QoS on hundreds to thousands of customer-premises devices as part of their managed-service offerings, to do so with greater ease. With this feature, QoS deployments can be faster and up to three times less expensive than before.

Cisco has a strong history in QoS innovation and development pioneering technologies such as packet classification, marking, application identification, differentiated services, integrated services, and QoS policy management. Now with AutoQoS, Cisco provides an innovative solution that can deliver a consistent set of IP QoS automation tools for routing and switching across multiple platforms to deliver end-to-end IP services. Designing and implementing QoS over multiple LANs and WANs is a complex and labor-intensive effort. Cisco AutoQoS simplifies and automates IP QoS deployment, and allows small and medium-sized businesses and large Enterprises to implement and manage advanced services such as VoIP.

"Because of the specialized skills required, enterprise network operators with limited converged network experience can find it complex and time consuming to correctly configure the QoS features of data-capable LAN switches," said Glenn Whalley, head of IP Network Engineering at BT Exact Technologies, BT's Advanced Communication Technologies business. "Based on evaluation of the AutoQos feature on the Cisco Catalyst 3550 switch, we believe this simplifies configuring IP QoS in a local environment to complete the task successfully. The AutoQos feature allows the network to be voice-enabled with one command, removing the risk of manual error."

"Today's announcement demonstrates the enormous potential of AutoQos to simplify and automate IP QoS deployment in Enterprise networks. This will allow users to implement and manage advanced IP services such as voice over IP in a cost-effective way," says Rick Strum, president of Enterprise Management Associates.

Cisco AutoQoS, together with CiscoWorks QoS Policy Manager, offers new capabilities to simplify VoIP deployments. AutoQoS automates critical elements of QoS deployment in classifying applications; generating policies; configuring; monitoring and reporting, and consistency. It also increases network availability by reducing operator and configuration errors.

CiscoWorks QoS Policy Manager is a centralized management tool that complements AutoQoS by using Cisco IOS Software and Cisco Catalyst OS QoS mechanisms to provide more information about the status of network operations by monitoring traffic. CiscoWorks QoS Policy Manager also accurately configures QoS policies that are critical to data, voice, and video performance, and enables campus-to-WAN differentiated services. It also includes support for network-based application recognition (NBAR). Enterprises can enable AutoQoS at the device level and use CiscoWorks QoS Policy Manager to monitor it. CiscoWorks QoS Policy Manager helps companies to cost-effectively manage QoS in a large IP network by enabling in-depth analysis, intelligent QoS design, and scalable deployment.

Availability

Cisco AutoQoS is available now in the following Cisco IOS Software releases: Cisco IOS Software Release 12.1E for the Cisco Catalyst 2950 and 3550 series switches; Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2T for the Cisco 2600, 2600XM, 3600, 3700, and 7200 series routers; Cisco IOS Software Release 12.1E for the Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series switches; Cisco Catalyst OS 7.5.1 for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches. Cisco AutoQoS is included with Cisco IOS Software licenses and maintenance agreements and upgrades at no additional charge. It is also included in Cisco IOS Software that ships with new purchases of Cisco routers or switches.

About Cisco Systems

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

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