Cisco Drives Transition to Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Networks in Midmarket and Enterprise; Introduces New 1000BaseT Products; Announces Marketing Agreement with Intel.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2001

Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced a comprehensive solution that will drive the transition to intelligent Gigabit Ethernet networks in the midmarket (companies and enterprise branches with 100-999 employees) and enterprise markets. In addition, Cisco has entered into a marketing agreement with Intel Corporation to accelerate the adoption of Gigabit Ethernet in company backbones, wiring closets and server farms.

The new 1000BaseT switching products from Cisco include: Cisco Catalyst(R) 3550-12T, Catalyst 2950 Series, Catalyst 4000 Series 24-Port 10/100/1000BaseT Line Card and Cisco 1000BaseT GBIC. The new products are part of Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data) -- the one enterprise architecture that provides an intelligent network infrastructure for today's Internet business solutions.

Several industry trends are leading businesses to turn to Gigabit Ethernet (1000-Mbps Ethernet). Some of the most significant changes driving the need for the leading-edge technology are the unpredictable network traffic patterns that result from the combination of intranet traffic, fewer centralized campus server locations, and the increasing use of multicast applications. With Gigabit Ethernet, organizations can increase the speed and performance of their network by as much as 10 times, improving employee efficiency and productivity. Gigabit Ethernet also enables organizations to upgrade to gigabit performance while maintaining existing wiring, operating systems, protocols, desktop applications, and network management strategies and tools, saving businesses critical time and money.

Many enterprise customers have deployed intelligent, multiservice Gigabit Ethernet backbones to increase performance, availability, security and control in the network core. Now, with new products and network design blueprints, Cisco is extending these benefits to midmarket networks and the enterprise edge. Using the new Cisco 1000BaseT switching solution, customers can easily migrate from flat, bandwidth-constrained infrastructures to networks with robust, intelligent capabilities.

"With this announcement, we are taking a major step toward our vision of pervasive bandwidth and network-wide intelligence for any enterprise or mid-market network," said Larry Birenbaum, general manager and group vice president of the Cisco Ethernet Access Group. "Midmarket customers can now afford Gigabit-based network solutions with intelligent network services that optimize their application performance and enable converged voice, video and data infrastructures."

To further support its efforts, Cisco has entered into a joint marketing partnership with Intel Corporation. Combining Cisco's leading position in Gigabit Ethernet switching and Intel's leadership in network adaptors, the two companies will deliver a complete Gigabit Ethernet solution to the midmarket by providing seamless integration of the new Cisco 1000BaseT switching products and the Intel(R) PRO/1000 family of adapters. (See news release, "Cisco, Intel Drive Gigabit Ethernet Network Deployment," 5/22/01)

The Need for an Integrated Gigabit Ethernet Solution

Most midmarket and enterprise customers have a combination of fiber and copper cabling in their networks. According to a recent Cahners In-Stat survey, 73 percent of midsized companies and 51 percent of enterprises deployed Category 5 copper cabling as part of the backbone infrastructure. "Cisco's expansion of its Catalyst switch family with new 1000BaseT products will enable companies to complete the transition to Gigabit Ethernet in network backbones," said Lauri Vickers, Senior Analyst of Cahners In-Stat.

Adding to its extensive lineup of Gigabit Ethernet products, Cisco is shipping these new 1000BaseT products:

-- Cisco Catalyst 3550-12T -- First stackable multilayer Gigabit Ethernet
aggregation switch that improves network control through Cisco IOS(R)
Intelligent Network Services

-- Cisco Catalyst 2950 Series -- Family of four, fixed-configuration,
wire-speed Fast Ethernet desktop switches with 10/100/1000BaseT uplinks,
delivering enhanced quality of service (QoS), multicast management and security


-- Cisco Catalyst 4000 Series 24-Port 10/100/1000BaseT Line Card

-- The highest-density 10/100/1000 line cards and systems in the industry, with
modular investment protection for desktop and server connectivity

-- Cisco 1000BaseT Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) -- Provides full duplex
Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to high-end workstations and between wiring
closets

Industry's First Stackable Multilayer Gigabit Ethernet Aggregation Switch: Catalyst 3550-12T

The Catalyst 3550-12T enables midmarket customers to significantly improve network availability, scalability and security by deploying Cisco IOS Intelligent Network Services in either the network backbone or wiring closet. The Catalyst 3550-12T features 10 1000BaseT ports and two GBIC slots, enabling affordable Gigabit Ethernet connectivity using Category 5 copper cabling. The Catalyst 3550-12T combines comprehensive multilayer services such as IP routing, advanced QoS and IP security, with the simplicity of traditional LAN switching. As a top-of-the-stack aggregator, it serves as a powerful complement to Catalyst 2950 Series switches, providing intelligent network services at the network edge. This 1000BaseT switch features:

-- High-Performance IP Routing - The Catalyst 3550-12T provides

customers with dynamic IP routing functions for increased

network scalability and performance. It features unmatched

performance with a 24-Gbps switching fabric and delivers up to

12-Gbps forwarding rate to a stack of switches.

-- Intelligent Network Services - Multicast management through

CGMP/IGMP snooping, CGMP server and PIM, enhanced QoS with

DSCP and sophisticated traffic management, IP security with

access control lists (ACLs), and high availability through

HSRP are among the many Layer 3 services in the Catalyst

3550-12T.

Wire-Speed Fast Ethernet Performance in the LAN: Cisco Catalyst 2950 Series

Today Cisco is introducing the Catalyst 2950 family of four fixed-configuration wire-speed Fast Ethernet switches for midmarket customers. The Gigabit-over-copper version complements the Catalyst 3550-12T and offers 10/100/1000BaseT uplinks. It is ideally suited for customers who want enhanced levels of network availability, performance, scalability, security, management and investment protection.

Key benefits and features of the Catalyst 2950 Seriesinclude:

-- Exceptional Performance - Catalyst 2950 Series switches allow

customers to build networks that can move high-speed traffic

at wire-speed performance on all ports. They feature an

8.8-Gbps switching fabric and a maximum forwarding rate of 6.6

million pps.

-- Powerful Migration Path - The Catalyst 2950T-24, which

features 24 100BaseTX ports and two 1000Base-T uplinks,

provides customers with an easy migration path to Gigabit

network speeds by leveraging their existing copper

infrastructures. Users gain 10-times faster connections to the

backbone compared to Fast Ethernet for a small incremental

price over current Catalyst product lines.

-- Intelligent Network Services - Multicast management, QoS and

user security with IGMP snooping, IEEE 802.1p and queue

management, and IEEE 802.1x support.

Web-Based LAN Management with Cisco Cluster Management Suite

With new enhancements to the Cisco Cluster Management Suite (CMS), midmarket IT departments can, for the first time, easily manage the entire multiservice LAN. By combining the power of Cisco IOS Intelligent Network Services with the simple, automated Web-based element management of the CMS, midmarket customers can effectively configure and deploy network intelligence. As a result, sophisticated QoS, multicast management, security and availability functionality now can be configured quickly and easily. CMS is embedded in Catalyst 3550-12T, 3500 Series XL, 2950 Series, 2900 Series XL and 1900 switches.

High-Density Gigabit Ethernet to the Desktop: Catalyst 4000 Series 10/100/1000BaseT Line Card

The new Catalyst 4000 Series 24-port 10/100/1000BaseT Line Card enhances the company's enterprise leadership by providing the industry's highest-density, autonegotiating Gigabit Ethernet from the network edge directly to desktop computers or servers. This line card, with triple-speed autosensing technology, provides wiring-closet and server-farm investment protection by allowing 10-Mbps, 100-Mbps and 1000-Mbps performance on the same interface for flexibility and seamless migration to Gigabit Ethernet.

Benefits of the new line card include:

-- Flexibility: The first modular system line card in the

industry with autosensing features, allowing customers to

support 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps and 1000 Mbps speeds on the same

interface for flexibility and seamless migration to Gigabit

Ethernet

-- Investment protection: Customers can leverage existing copper

cabling and avoid the cost of installing fiber and its

associated electronics, which are typically more expensive

than copper or co-axial cable.

-- Density: The 10/100/1000 line card occupies just one line card

slot and improves the maximum density to up to 120 ports in

the Catalyst 4000 Series.

Cisco Service and Support for New 1000BaseT Solution

Cisco and its partners offer time-sensitive service with the Cisco Catalyst 2950 Series, Catalyst 3550-12T, 1000BaseT GBIC and the Catalyst 4000 Series. Rapid deployment services are available through Cisco Total Implementation Solutions (TIS) program for customers installing, implementing and upgrading to intelligent Gigabit Ethernet networks. In addition, ongoing operational support, as well as advanced services to optimize the network for high-availability performance, is provided by Cisco through service offerings such as SMARTnet(TM) or SMARTnet On-site support.

Pricing (All Products Available May 2001)

Product                           Price                    Price/Port

Cisco Catalyst 3550-12T           US$9,995                   US$833
Cisco Catalyst 2950T-24           US$2,395                    US$92
Cisco Catalyst 2950-24            US$1,995                    US$83
Cisco Catalyst 2950C-24           US$2,995                   US$115
Cisco Catalyst 2950-12            US$1,495                   US$125
Cisco 1000BaseT GBIC                US$395                      N/A
Cisco Catalyst 4000 Series
 24-port 10/100/1000BaseT
 Line Card                        US$8,995                   US$375

About Cisco Systems

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

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