Cisco Systems Extends IP/MPLS Leadership with Interprovider Capabilities; Infonet Chooses Cisco's MPLS Interprovider Solution.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Cisco Systems(R) (Nasdaq:CSCO) today announced it is offering Internet Protocol Multiprotocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) interprovider capabilities that allow service providers to work with each other and combine the capabilities of their individual networks, as a way to offer new services to their business customers. These capabilities can also help decrease operating expenses and the risk of business downtime for these same customers.

Service providers that take full advantage of the new Cisco IP/MPLS interprovider solutions will deliver increased resiliency, multicast-based services such as streaming video, and extended virtual-private-network (VPN) technologies to their enterprise business customers.

The ability for service provider networks to interoperate helps meet enterprise customer demands for increased voice, video and data services at all their remote locations, no matter the geographic area, as well as simplified network management capability, and effective service-level agreements (SLAs).

"Our global customers are increasingly demanding seamless connectivity for end-to-end services across network boundaries and most importantly, a single point-of-contact for these services rather than going to various providers for a solution," said Joe Fusco, director of IP Services, Infonet Services Corporation. "We're excited about Cisco's interprovider offering with its multicast, traffic engineering, and load-balancing capabilities. This is one step closer to our vision for global interconnectivity and higher customer satisfaction."

New Cisco IP/MPLS Features

The enhanced interprovider capabilities include:

--Inter-Autonomous System (Inter-AS) Multicast VPN

--Inter-AS Traffic Engineering

--Interprovider MPLS VPN over IP

--MPLS VPN Inter-AS/Carrier Supporting Carrier(CSC) Load Balancing

--Interprovider Network Management Services

These capabilities bring service providers closer to providing customers with a transparent, globally interconnected interprovider network infrastructure, which reduces capital and operational expenditures with minimal investment.

Inter-AS multicast VPN allows service providers to provide enterprise customers scalable Layer 3 multicast services on an IP network that shares resources, on one or more physical networks. This enables service providers to provide customers with new services to create additional revenue streams.

Inter-AS Traffic Engineering allows service providers to traffic engineer between networks and regions, previously not available. It involves the configuration of a single tunnel at the headend as opposed to switching tunnels across each area that must be crossed, enabling service providers to deliver more robust, resilient and scalable networks.

Interprovider MPLS VPN over IP allows traditional MPLS-based Layer 3 VPN services to be delivered on a native IP network, simplifying connectivity across a single or multiple transit IP networks. This functionality allows service providers more flexibility in building IP network architectures across domain boundaries, allowing additional revenue opportunities by building scalable Layer 3 VPN services, such as Web hosting, application hosting, interactive learning, electronic commerce and telephony service.

Cisco(R) also has enhanced MPLS VPN Inter-AS/CsC load balancing, by allowing service providers to load balance across two or more links between boundary routers. Previously, service providers could fully utilize one link between peering routers. The increase in links enables additional flexibility, better redundancy and network scalability for the delivery of improved SLAs.

To manage these new interprovider technologies, Cisco also offers network management tools. These include enhancements to: Cisco IP Solution Center, Cisco Info Center, CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution, Cisco IOS(R) NetFlow with Reporting and IP SLA capability.

Cisco was first to deliver Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards-based MPLS, beginning with Cisco IOS Software Release 12.0 in 1999, and now offers the industry's most-pervasively-deployed, feature-rich MPLS architecture.

Availability

The Cisco Interprovider capabilities are shipping now in Cisco IOS Software releases 12.0(29)S and 12.0(30)S. Service providers interested in testing or deploying Cisco MPLS solutions should contact their local sales office. Additional information about Cisco MPLS solutions and supported platforms can be found at: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk436/ tech_topology_and_network_serv_and_protocol_suite_home.html (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

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