Cisco Systems & Hitachi Data Systems Selected by Euronext.liffe for Multiprotocol, Multiservice Storage Network for Business Continuity.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 16, 2003

Cisco Systems today announced that Market Solutions, the IT division of Euronext.liffe, is using networking and storage technologies from Cisco and Hitachi Data Systems, together with project procurement services from BT, to interconnect data centres in London and Paris for business continuity purposes.

In this innovative deployment, both the London and Paris data centres host servers and applications that process live, transactional data with each site serving as the other's backup data facility in the event of failure. Storage, data, and optical networking products from Cisco supporting Fibre Channel, IP storage, TCP/IP, and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) form the underlying transport infrastructure that extends nearly 650 kilometers from one data centre to the other. Storage subsystems and data replication software from Hitachi Data Systems help ensure that identical copies of data are maintained and can be accessed from either data centre at all times.

"Within a trading environment, having reliable access to realtime data is not just important, it's business-critical," said Mark Hemsley, Managing Director of Euronext.liffe Market Solutions. "We turned to Cisco, Hitachi Data Systems and BT to deliver this business-continuity solution because the companies have the experience and the product portfolios that meet the needs of high-end enterprise computing environments like ours."

Market Solutions data centres host services for all of their portfolio of customers, each of which has demanding service levels for availability and data integrity. The storage area network (SAN) is an important infrastructure component of LIFFE CONNECT(R), the world's most advanced electronic trading system. LIFFE CONNECT(R) is used by an expanding global customer base, the SAN allows the flexibility to consolidate and manage the storage demands of these customers in a business environment where growth in data storage needs can be dramatic.

The SAN consists of multiprotocol switches, four at each site, built using Cisco MDS 9509 Multilayer Directors. These SAN switches connect servers to several Hitachi Freedom Storage(TM) Lightning 9960(TM) and Lightning(TM) 9980V(TM) enterprise-class storage systems, delivering multiple terabytes of storage capacity. Hitachi TrueCopy(TM) software installed in the storage subsystems at both data centers helps provide the remote data replication capability.

Cisco & Hitachi worked together with BT to provide Euronext.liffe Market Solutions with the most innovative solutions in both technology and project financing. "The power of the cooperation delivered much more than any of us could have provided separately," said Pierre Danon, CEO of BT Retail. "This project reflects the way the market is going; strong teams provide the most benefit to the customer."

"We often talk of our open and collaborative strategy at Hitachi Data Systems," said Robert Bignell, Senior Director, Enterprise Products and Solutions, Hitachi Data Systems. "Working as a cooperative team to provide the most complete solution possible is what customers want and need, and Euronext.liffe is proof that this strategy works."

For network connectivity outside of the data centers, Euronext.liffe Market Solutions equipped its Cisco MDS 9509's with Cisco MDS 9000 IP Storage Services Modules that connect to Cisco 7600 series routers over TCP/IP. In turn, these routers connect to a wide-area SDH (synchronous digital hierarchy) ring built using Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Provisioning Platforms located at networking points in London, Paris, and Amsterdam. The SDH ring supports multiple STM-16 links, equivalent to 2.5 gigabits per second of bandwidth per link.

The IP Storage Services Modules serve as the gateway between LIFFE CONNECT(R) Fibre Channel-based traffic in its SANs and the TCP/IP-based traffic outside of its data centres through Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP) technology. FCIP works by encapsulating entire Fibre Channel frames in IP packets for transport across TCP/IP links. FCIP, therefore, helps enable Euronext.liffe Market Solutions to connect its SANs over long distances, making it useful for business continuity applications such as data mirroring, asynchronous data replication, and remote backup.

Cisco is the first vendor to implement the industry-standard version of FCIP technology, which is currently undergoing the ratification process through the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Through the IP Storage Services Module and the Cisco MDS 9000 Family, Cisco is also the first vendor to offer FCIP integrated into both director and fabric-class SAN switches.

"Assuring business continuity is becoming a strategic initiative for many of our customers," said Robert Lloyd, President of Cisco Systems in Europe Middle East and Africa. "By working with industry leaders such as Hitachi Data Systems, Cisco is able to apply its storage and data networking expertise to deliver highly available and reliable solutions that protect perhaps the most valuable IT asset an enterprise can own -- its data."

About Euronext.liffe

Euronext.liffe, the derivatives business of Euronext, comprising the derivatives markets of Amsterdam, Brussels, LIFFE, Lisbon and Paris is creating a single market for derivatives, by bringing all its derivatives products together on a single electronic trading platform, LIFFE CONNECT(R). This has started with the successful Brussels market migration on 24 March 2004, and the Paris market on 14 April. Amsterdam markets will migrate in early 2004. The replacement of multiple trading venues with a single market supported by a state of the art electronic trading system will reduce costs for both Euronext.liffe itself and its customers, and make cross-border trading easier and cheaper.

LIFFE CONNECT(R) is the world's most advanced electronic trading system, with an unrivalled speed of execution and flexibility. It is the world's most widely accessible electronic trading platform, making the derivatives market it supports available to customers at over 615 locations in 26 countries worldwide. The Chicago Board of Trade, the Tokyo International Financial Futures Exchange, NQLX and Euronext have chosen LIFFE CONNECT(R) to trade a wide range of fixed income and equity derivatives products.

About Hitachi Data Systems

Hitachi Data Systems is committed to enabling organizations worldwide to exploit the full potential of information. By following and deploying our TrueNorth(tm) strategy, we provide customers with a broad range of storage solutions to simplify, protect and optimize their information infrastructures. Our offerings include centralized and distributed storage systems and software, professional services, complemented by best-of-breed products through channel partners and industry alliances.

With 2,700 employees, Hitachi Data Systems conducts business through direct and indirect channels in the public, government and private sectors in over 170 countries. Its customers include more than 50 percent of Fortune 100 companies. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.hds.com.

Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company, with approximately 340,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2002 (ended March 31, 2003) consolidated sales totaled 8,191.7 billion yen ($68.3 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors, including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's Web site at http://global.hitachi.com.

About BT

BT is one of the world's leading providers of telecommunications services and one of the largest private sector companies in Europe. Its principal activities include local, long distance and international telecommunications services, internet and broadband services and IT solutions. In the UK, BT serves more than 28 million exchange lines as well as providing network services to other licensed operators.

BT Group consists of:

-- BT Retail, the UK's largest communications service provider 

and the prime channel to market for BT's other businesses;

-- BT Wholesale, the provider of network services and solutions

to communications companies, network operators and service

providers;

-- BT Global Services, BT's business services and solutions

business, serving customers worldwide; and

-- BT Openworld, a mass-market narrow and broadband internet

business.

Further businesses make up BT Group, including BTexact Technologies, the internationally renowned advanced research and technology business.

For more information, visit www.btplc.com.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc.(Nasdaq: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco news and information are available at http://www.cisco.com. Cisco equipment in Europe is supplied by Cisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.

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.