Cisco Introduces New Automated Management Solution to Streamline Change Operations; Cisco Proactive Automation of Change Execution Solution Helps Enterprises Control Network Configurations.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Cisco Systems(R) (NASDAQ:CSCO) introduced today the Cisco(R) Proactive Automation of Change Execution (PACE) solution, a comprehensive suite of products and services that help enterprises to meet compliance requirements, accelerate growth, enhance business continuity, and increase user productivity. This integrated solution is the industry's first to provide customers with a highly secure, automated and scalable configuration management system.

The Cisco PACE solution provides the operations, technical and deployment services needed to complement information technology (IT) staffs of any size. The solution proactively automates highly secure change, configuration and analysis tasks while reducing management cost and time.

The Cisco PACE solution supports the Cisco Service-Oriented Network Architecture (SONA) to centrally manage network infrastructure and ease the deployment of advanced services across the enterprise. The complete Cisco PACE solution comprises Cisco's Access Control Server (ACS), CiscoWorks Network Compliance Manager (NCM), CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution (LMS), Cisco Configuration Assurance Solution (CAS) and Cisco Lifecycle Services.

"The new Cisco PACE solution meets an increasing need in organizations to meet industry regulations and corporate policies," says Dennis Drogseth, vice president, Enterprise Management Associates. "With the Cisco PACE solution, Cisco has distinctively brought together solutions for infrastructure optimization and service planning with advanced network configuration management and access control. This should help its customers address complex but interrelated needs with a one-stop shop and single brand support."

Highly Scalable and Flexible to Meet a Wide Range of Customer Needs

Cisco designed the highly scalable Cisco PACE solution to meet a wide range of customer needs. The solution gives customers the flexibility to order and implement products and services that best meet their specific requirements. Customers can select products and services as needed by the specific network or take advantage of the scalability and rich features of the complete solution suite.

The Cisco PACE solution offers several features to help enterprises adhere to compliance policies while providing accountability of network and information changes such as:

--Changing User Names and Passwords: Customers can make changes and control access to the devices affected by such changes from one central control point.

--Managing Unplanned Device Configuration Changes: IT organizations can provide a highly secure change-control process that allows customers to implement configuration changes by the right person at the right time.

--Detailed Compliance Reporting: Customers can easily check network configurations for compliance with industry regulations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards. Complete audit reporting and the rollback capability of all network changes provide detailed tracking for corporate auditors.

--Comprehensive Analysis and Validation Reporting: Customers can analyze and view reports on security vulnerability, network resiliency, configuration trends, routing analytics, network design and many more. Continuous monitoring prevents unwanted or conflicting changes.

A large American Ivy League university's network operation center (NOC) provides more than 150,000 users across various departments, faculties and affiliates with border and core network connectivity and security services.

"Our NOC helps local network managers and staff throughout the university network efficiently access accurate, real-time and operational data from the network," says a network operations manager at the university's network operation center. "Our customers throughout the network face increasing new network installations, complicated regulatory requirements and granular change requirements. The Cisco PACE solution provides a comprehensive solution that allows us to select pieces of the solution that can standardize access controls and meet change requirements seamlessly."

Cisco provides lifecycle services and support with the specialized expertise needed to implement the Cisco PACE solution:

--Operations consulting services: To assess, define, and optimize your network configuration and change-management processes

--Technical consulting services: To provide integration, custom compliance, policy-rules development, and report generation

--Deployment services: To help you plan, design, implement, and operate the Cisco PACE solution

The Cisco PACE solution, combined with Cisco Network Application Performance Analysis (NAPA) solution, provides a lifecycle approach to the management of network equipment. Together, the two solutions meet operational and business needs of Cisco customers, allowing them to grow, adapt and deploy new technologies efficiently and effectively.

Availability & More Information

All of the products and services in the Cisco PACE solution are available now. For additional information on the solution, please visit: www.cisco.com/go/pace.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Information about Cisco can be found 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 or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.