Cisco Scores Touchdown With NFL; Cisco Catalyst 2924M XL Switch Pumps Network Bandwidth into Mission Critical Super Bowl Operation.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 1999--Cisco Systems, Inc. announced today that NFL Properties, Inc., the National Football League's licensing, marketing and publishing division, has selected the Catalyst(R) 2924M XL 10/100 switch to run its mission critical, high-bandwidth NFL publishing operation. At NFL Properties in Los Angeles, the Catalyst 2924M XL has helped increase network bandwidth by a factor of ten.

The Cisco Catalyst 2924M XL 10/100 autosensing switch is at the center of all the Super Bowl publishing action and was chosen for its high-performance 10/100 capability, Fast EtherChannel(R) technology, and its enhanced Web-based management tool, Cisco Visual Switch Manager (CVSM).

"With the Super Bowl rapidly approaching and our work load and network bandwidth needs escalating, it became critical that we upgrade our switching infrastructure immediately," said Brian Davids, director of Computer Operations at NFL Publishing, Inc. "Cisco and DIS Research, our reseller, were quick to respond to our aggressive schedule and the entire process, from start to finish -- from my decision to go with the Catalyst 2924M XL to having it up and running in our network, took less than four days."

During the NFL games and Super Bowl season, NFL Properties is tasked with creating all the printed materials and collateral for the games, such as the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl programs, posters, and the Record and Fact books. In addition, NFL Photos, the photo archives department of the NFL is tasked with loading high-resolution photo files on the servers for licensees to access via the web/extranet. These applications require a high-throughput network, allowing for high-speed data transfers.

NFL editors need to download large files and images from the servers to their desktops for editing. Previously each such operation took anywhere from six to eight minutes. Today, with the Catalyst 2924M XL, editors can transfer each high-resolution file in a mere two to three minutes. With the help of Cisco's Fast EtherChannel technology and an 800 MB connection using Intel's Fast EtherChannel Network Interface Cards (NICs) from the server to the switch, editors can also choose to work directly on files located on the server, with the help of a 100 MB server-desktop connection.

NFL Properties will soon be upgrading its wiring infrastructure to support Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. The Catalyst 2924M XL switch will then be equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet module (available in March'99), to increase server connectivity speeds. The division also has plans to enhance its Wide Area Network (WAN) capabilities using Cisco's advanced routing and firewall technologies.

"We've designed Fast EtherChannel to address the needs of companies such as NFL Properties, that require high performance bandwidth that can scale to near gigabit speeds," said Bill Rossi, director of product marketing for the Small Internetworks Business Unit at Cisco Systems. "Our customers need networking solutions that are versatile enough to meet their networks' growing needs, while providing a smooth transition to next-generation technologies."

Cisco's Catalyst 2900 Series XL Family of 10/100 Desktop Switches

The Cisco Catalyst 2900 Series XL is a full line of 10/100 autosensing Fast Ethernet switches that combines outstanding performance, ease-of-use and flexibility, and integrated Cisco IOS(R) software. The Catalyst 2900 Series XL includes five models, with different port densities, configuration options, and pricing to meet a broad range of network design requirements. Available in Standard and Enterprise Editions, the software embedded in Catalyst 2900 XL switches is upgradeable so your investment is protected if your network grows or changes.

About NFL Properties, Inc.

NFL Properties, Inc. is the licensing, marketing and publishing division of the National Football League.

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.

Catalyst, EtherChannel, Cisco IOS, 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.