Cisco Joins the SNIA IP Storage Forum; Cisco Executive to Serve as Co-Chair.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 27, 2001

Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced its membership to the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) IP Storage Forum, a marketing-focused organization within the SNIA whose mission is to promote standards-based block storage networking solutions using Internet Protocol (IP) networks.

Cisco also announced that Doug Ingraham, manager of product marketing in the Storage Router Business Unit (SRBU), was elected as a co-chair to head the forum. He joins representatives from IBM, Adaptec, Hewlett-Packard, and Platys Communications, who will make up the IP Storage Forum's governing body. In all, dozens of storage and networking companies have currently signed letters of intent to join the IP Storage Forum. These companies will work together to advocate the benefits of IP-based storage networking through marketing materials that explain key principles and features of IP storage networking as well as creating white papers, educational materials, and participating at various technology tradeshows and conferences.

"By working closely with the companies that make up the IP Storage Forum, Cisco is on the forefront of a critical storage industry initiative," said Ingraham, who leads product strategy and product management teams at the SRBU. "The cooperative efforts among these companies will help us attain our vision of promoting open, industry standards-based solutions that offer customers the utmost flexibility in building their storage networks."

Ingraham's election as an IP Storage Forum's co-chair marks the latest in a series of prominent roles Cisco has undertaken within the SNIA and the IP storage networking community in general. For example, Cisco is an active participant in several IP storage standards initiatives within the International Engineering Task Force (IEFT), including the Internet SCSI (iSCSI) and Fibre Channel over IP (FC/IP) workgroups. Cisco is also active in several workgroups within the National Committee of Information Technology Standards (NCITS) that deal with Fibre Channel interconnect issues.

Within the SNIA, Cisco attained full voting member privileges in December 2000. Cisco also participated in the recent grand opening of the SNIA Technology Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., the world's largest independent storage networking complex.

"The SNIA looks forward to the work of the IP Storage Forum, who will greatly advance the development and adoption of IP storage networking," said Lawrence Krantz, the chairman of the SNIA board. "Only by having these companies work together can we hope to bridge the technological diversity within IP storage networking and create effective, interoperable solutions."

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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