Cisco Systems launches expanded worldwide channel strategy supported by new CiscoPro brand of networking products.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 1995--Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced worldwide distribution and product strategies designed to deliver tailored networking solutions to businesses and individuals.

The CiscoPro product line is intended for use in popular business applications such as Internet access, telecommuting, distributed databases and high-speed document transfer. The products will be sold indirectly to businesses, institutions and individuals for use in branch offices, medium- and smal-sized businesses and professional home offices, and will constitute a major expansion of Cisco's presence in these markets. These markets are predicted to grow from $5 billion in 1995 to $17 billion in the year 2000, according to Dataquest, a San Jose, Calif.-based market research firm.

Cisco Systems established its leadership in the internetworking industry primarily by serving customers with large, complex networks. The CiscoPro product strategy is to provide customers who have basic networking needs with a way to obtain Cisco-quality solutions with the features, price points and packaging appropriate to them.

The CiscoPro distribution strategy is to deliver solutions to these customers through the sales and support channels with which they are accustomed to working -- primarily value-added resellers (VARs) and integrators supplied via two-tier distribution. In the U.S., CiscoPro products are available through two distributors, Ingram Micro and Tech Data. Outside the U.S., where Cisco already distributes its products through two-tier distribution, VARs and enterprise channels, the CiscoPro product line will be available through existing channels.

"The CiscoPro line reflects the evolution of the internetworking marketplace from the realm of large corporations to businesses of all sizes and even the home," said John Chambers, president and CEO of Cisco Systems. "With these initiatives, Cisco is reaching a new market whose most important requirements are easy-to-use, easy-to-purchase networking solutions."

CiscoPro Channel Program

A separate dedicated channel organization, headed by Kevin DeNuccio, vice president of volume markets, has been established to support the new channel strategy. To ensure VAR success, Cisco has dedicated specific resources to support CiscoPro including: -0-

--Dedicated VAR field managers for reseller;

--Experienced channel support;

--An expanded channel marketing team; and

--A separate channel training organization. -0-

CiscoPro Products

The initial CiscoPro products fall into two categories -- workgroup and access solutions. Workgroup solutions include fixed-configuration and stackable switching solutions for departmental workgroups; access solutions include standard internetworking technology packaged for branch office and professional office environments.

Network management for CiscoPro products is provided by CiscoVision software, a complete PC-based network management solution under Windows for configuring, monitoring and managing routers and switches. Cisco offers both standalone and server-based internetworking solutions.

All CiscoPro products are designed and manufactured by Cisco Systems, providing quality, reliability, network security and interoperability based on industry standards. Cisco Internetwork Operating System (Cisco IOS) software, a sophisticated suite of networking software, has been tailored to meet the ease-of-use requirements of the target CiscoPro customers and applications.

CiscoPro products are being shown first at the NetWorld+INTEROP trade show in Atlanta this week.

Since creating the internetworking industry in the mid-1980s with the first multiprotocol routers, Cisco has steadily expanded both the range of its products and the types of customers it serves. Cisco solutions today address all of the major trends in networking, including LAN switching, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), remote access, telecommuting and multimedia.

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is the leading global supplier of enterprise networks, including routers, LAN and ATM switches, dial-up access servers and network management software. These products, integrated by the Cisco IOS software, link geographically dispersed LANs, WANs and IBM networks. Cisco Systems news and product/service information are available at World Wide Web site http://www.cisco.com. Cisco Systems is headquartered San Jose, Calif.

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Note to Editors: Cisco IOS, CiscoPro and CiscoVision are trademarks and Cisco, Cisco Systems and the Cisco logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc.

CONTACT: Cisco Systems, Inc.

Bob Michelet, 408/526-6636

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Cunningham Communications, Inc.

Lisa Hempel, 408/764-0738

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