Infotech Rolls Out Ethernet Broadband Connectivity to Austrian Town Of Ried Using Cisco Metro Ethernet Switching.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

RIED IM INNKREIS, Austria--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2003

New Metro Ethernet fiber network to support delivery of

next-generation commercial broadband services and

Ried's e-government initiatives

Cisco Systems today announced that Infotech, a Service Provider in the region of Upper Austria is deploying a Cisco Metro Ethernet Switching solution to provide business and residential customers in the town of Ried im Innkreis with next-generation voice, video and data services over one converged IP and fiber infrastructure.

Infotech is working in tandem with the local utility, Energie Ried, and the local government, Stadtamt Ried, to expand the government's existing fiber optic networks linking government buildings and schools in the town. Over this fiber network, Infotech is using Cisco Metro Ethernet Switching to now offer commercial Metro Ethernet services to residential customers with Internet connection speeds of up to 10 Mbit/s, and 100 Mbit/s for branch offices and teleworkers. Infotech offers up to Gigabit speeds for corporate customers and the wholesale market.

"A fiber infrastructure helps enable us to offer customers next generation connectivity speeds as well as the full mix of voice, video and data triple play services. An Ethernet-based transport helps us to modify the bandwidth provided to individual customers in a very timely way, " said Hans Kuehberger, CEO of Infotech. "With Metro Ethernet, applications like teleworking become a day-to-day reality, with corporate network connectivity, flat rate voice and video communication over the same single medium. We chose to work with Cisco because of its unrivalled experience of building Metro Ethernet architectures and services."

Infotech has completed the first phase of fiber layout and has already migrated its existing leased line corporate customer base to the new network. The service provider is also planning a range of video and data services for residential customers such as 'Timeshift TV' -- a service providing DVD-quality and on-demand access to TV programmes broadcast over the past 24 hours. Infotech is using micro trenching technology to connect residential apartment blocks and subscribers to the fiber rings.

"We want to provide our citizens with a swift and un-bureaucratic service, and effectively networking our own institutions was one of the most important prerequisites towards delivering this vision," said Albert Ortig, mayor of the town of Ried. "As the body overseeing the administration of public property and the road network, as well as the principal owner of Energie Ried, the local government is closely supporting the development of this network."

Building on the local government's initial deployment, Infotech worked with the Stadtamt Ried to expand the existing fiber optic network already connecting certain municipal buildings, and migrated the Ried municipal network architecture to Cisco Metro Ethernet Switching. The educational and administrative network was extended across the town, and as part of the project a separate public and commercial network was created at the same time. Infotech is also providing public Ethernet access points in municipal locations.

"By building out a next-generation Metro Ethernet fiber network to serve the local community, the Infotech management team has demonstrated innovation and vision," said Michael Bayer, director of service provider marketing, Cisco Systems, EMEA. "Infotech now has greater flexibility in terms of the granularity of bandwidth it can offer between 10 and 1000 Mbit/s, as well as a platform to continually develop new converged services that meet market demands."

Infotech is using Cisco Catalyst 4000(R) series and Cisco Catalyst 3550(R) series switches to support its Metro Ethernet services, together with the Cisco Building Broadband Service Manager, Cisco 2600 series, 3600 series, and 7200 series routers and Cisco Pix 500 Series Firewalls. For more information please visit: http://www.cisco.com/go/metroethernetswitching

About Infotech

Established in 1993 as an IT systems house, Infotech EDV-Systeme Gmbh is a privately owned Austrian firm, which entered the service provider market in 1996 to serve the town of Ried im Innkreis and surrounding area. Services provided by Infotech encompass Ethernet broadband access services using the Ried fiber optic network, managed storage, eCommerce, support, software development and training. For more information please visit http://www.infotech.at

About Ried im Innkreis

The town of Ried im Innkreis is situated in Upper Austria, approximately 50km from Salzburg, with currently around 12,000 inhabitants, and in the region of 4,500 households. Further information is available on the town of Ried's website at http://www.ried.at

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.

Note to Editors: Cisco, Cisco IOS, Cisco Systems, the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.