Cisco Extends Switching Leadership with New, Integrated Solution for HP BladeSystem c-Class; Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 for HP BladeSystem Delivers Resilient and Highly Secure Infrastructure Services Required for Data Center Networks.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Cisco Systems(R) today announced the latest product for its integrated switching portfolio with the introduction of the Cisco(R) Catalyst(R) Blade Switch 3020 for HP BladeSystem c-Class. Working with HP as a BladeSystem Solution Builder program member, Cisco designed this switch specifically for the new HP BladeSystem c-Class, the company's next-generation blade architecture.

The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 offers HP BladeSystem customers industry-leading intelligence and resilience including high availability, enhanced security, advanced quality of service (QoS), and flexible management -- all in a compact, integrated solution. These features and functionality make the Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 ideal in meeting the demanding requirements of data center networks and helping customers utilize existing network investments to reduce operational expenses.

"Cisco has nearly 15 years' worth of experience in the switching market and is the clear-cut leader in the industry," said Zeus Kerravala, vice president of Infrastructure Research and Consulting at the Yankee Group. "The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 has benefited from the tight collaboration between Cisco and HP, which has resulted in a solution capable of delivering intelligent networking services to the server edge."

The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 offers 16 internal Gigabit Ethernet ports connected to servers through the BladeSystem and up to eight external Gigabit Ethernet uplink ports with flexible configuration options. The switch comes equipped with Cisco LAN Base IOS(R) Software and its comprehensive set of intelligent services as well as support for CiscoWorks-based management tools such as an embedded graphical user interface (GUI) device manager that simplifies initial configuration. Other management options include the ability to configure a switch through a Web browser or through a command-line interface, or CLI, for users familiar with this Cisco feature.

The addition of the Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 to the Cisco Catalyst switching portfolio enables customers to deploy consistent intelligent services in their server network infrastructure. These end-to-end capabilities provide critical benefits to end-users and IT staff:

--Increased security to protect confidential information;

--High availability to ensure anytime access to time-critical information;

--Network and systems scalability to accommodate future growth, and;

--Control and differentiation of traffic flows to handle the increasing number of critical business applications.

"By integrating the Cisco switch into our new HP BladeSystem architecture, HP is delivering customers an efficient, cost-effective way of fully utilizing their network infrastructure and management investments," said Paul Miller, vice president, marketing, Industry Standard Servers and BladeSystem Division, HP. "Cisco and HP recognize that customers want to simplify the management of their networks. The innovations we've built into the new HP BladeSystem will help customers adapt their IT infrastructures ahead of business changes and deliver more value to their IT departments."

Pricing and Availability

The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3020 for HP is now available starting at a list price of $4400 (USD) with a 90 day warranty. Other warranty levels are available with corresponding pricing.

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. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

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