Cisco Systems to Present VoiceCon 2003 Keynote on ``The Productivity Payoff'' for Migrating to IP Communications.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

VoiceCon 2003

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 13, 2003

Cisco Will Have Major Presence at Premier Enterprise Voice

Communications Conference

Cisco Systems, Inc. will deliver six compelling presentations on enterprise IP Communications, including a keynote address on productivity, at VoiceCon 2003. The company will also showcase the latest advancements to its IP Communications system and make its executives available for press and industry analyst interviews at this year's premier enterprise voice communications conference at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., Feb. 18-20.

Cisco executives will present compelling content on a variety of Internet Protocol (IP)-based voice communications topics including: productivity gains, reliability, security, upgrading data networks for IP voice, and network implementation. Don Proctor, vice president and general manager of the Cisco Voice Technology Group, will set the tone for the conference with a keynote address at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18 entitled: "The Productivity Payoff."

There are a variety of technical reasons for migrating to a converged voice, video and data network -- more efficient use of WAN and LAN facilities, streamlined management and administration and more rational architectures. However, the most important payoff comes from network applications that enable businesses to become more productive and profitable. From contact centers to unified communications and XML applications running on IP phones, IP Communications bring a host of new capabilities and solutions that allow businesses to communicate and collaborate more effectively, regardless of location. Proctor will draw from the experiences of the first million Cisco IP telephony users to show how the productivity payoff of IP Communications can be realized by enterprises deploying converged networks today and in the future.

Executive Forum, 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 20

Eugene Lee, vice president of Cisco Worldwide Enterprise Marketing, will participate in the "Executive Forum" -- Voice Networking: Who Should You Trust? Executives from several voice networking equipment vendors will gather for a round-table discussion of today's market and product realities. The participants will describe how they are planning for or hedging against an environment where open, IP systems prevail, and converged networks are commonplace. Executives will respond to issues posed by one another, session moderator Jerry Goldstone, president of Key3Media BCR Events, and a panel consisting of VoiceCon attendees.

Reliability, Security, Network Upgrades and Implementation

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.: "The IP-PBX Security Issues" presentation will provide details on security systems and requirements for converged voice-data networks. Attendees will learn about unique security threats and how to address them.

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 11 a.m.: "Reliability Mini-Debate: Is 5-9s Crucial?" This session will address the 5-9s metric -- 99.999 voice system availability.

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 3:15 p.m.: "Upgrading Data Networks for Voice" will offer information about bandwidth, quality of service (QoS), architectural and other issues. Attendees will gain an understanding of what steps and costs are involved in preparing a data network to carry voice.

Thursday, Feb. 20, 11:15 a.m.: Cisco will present on "IP-PBX Implementation Issues II -- Installation/OAM." This session will focus on the most common pitfalls that delay or thwart VoIP installations. It will also provide details on real-life operations, administration and management information. Two consultants will discuss their experiences and a roundtable discussion featuring three vendor representatives will follow.

Booth Demonstrations

The Cisco exhibit (booth #315) will feature Cisco IP Communications solutions that can help business address key issues such as network reliability, increasing productivity among employees, increasing flexibility of a mobile staff, and decreasing network administration costs. Visitors to the Cisco booth will see demonstrations of IP videoconferencing, instant messaging on a Cisco IP Phone, unified messaging, voice-over-IP management tools, and IP telephony solutions for the enterprises, branches and small to medium-sized businesses.

Press/Analyst Meetings

For press and industry analysts interested in scheduling a briefing with Cisco executives attending the show, please contact Cisco PR Manager Rob Lopez at 408/525-1285 or [e-mail]. For more information about VoiceCon 2003, please visit: http://www.bcr.com/voicecon/. For more information about Cisco IP Communications, please visit: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/innovators/VoIP/index.html

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems (Nasdaq:CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco news and information are available at http://www.cisco.com.