Prudential Financial Uses Cisco ``Hoot `n' Holler" Over IP Solution To Improve Reliability Of Critical Multicast Conference Calls.

Business Editors

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) announced today that it is deploying Cisco Systems, Inc.'s modular access routers at Prudential Securities, Inc. to implement a Cisco Hoot `n' Holler over Internet Protocol (IP) application designed to provide an `on-demand' voice broadcast capability to multiple broker groups simultaneously across 300 of its branch offices.

"Moving our time-sensitive market broadcasts to Cisco Hoot `n' Holler over IP service over a converged infrastructure has significantly enhanced our broker/customer communications and enabled us to provide our clients with the most up-to-date market information and transaction advice," said Bella Loykhter, chief information officer at Prudential Securities, a Prudential Financial company.

Prudential uses the Cisco Hoot `n' Holler over IP solution for its daily morning conference calls during which stock analysts and financial advisors discuss companies and market conditions. The technology is also used to instantly inform brokers of market changes as they occur. "With immediate access to reliable market information, our brokers can make better-informed decisions in managing their clients' portfolios and in making recommendations to clients," pointed out Loykhter.

Steven K. Steinberg, vice president, Information Systems, at Prudential Financial, explained that the Cisco Hoot `n' Holler over IP solution is a point-to-multipoint voice application that delivers hoot traffic to remote offices over a converged voice and data network eliminating the need for dedicated point-to-point telephone lines, which are more costly.

At the same time, he said, it creates a converged IP network infrastructure that results in significant cost savings through the consolidation of voice services and the ability to deploy new e-business and training applications. "Moving the hoot `n' holler traffic to a new multiservice IP network also results in operational benefits for Prudential, including improved network reliability, greater scalability, simplified network management, upgrades and troubleshooting," said Steinberg.

Prudential's deployment of the Cisco Hoot `n' Holler over IP solution, one of the largest of its kind in the world, is based on the Cisco 2600 and 3600 Modular Access Routers. The application also represents deployment of the Bi-Directional Protocol Independent Multicast (BiDir PIM) - the ability to send voice traffic in both directions - as the underlying multicast routing protocol for the hoot infrastructure.

"Prudential Financial's hoot `n' holler network is another example of a mission-critical application that now can run on a converged data and voice network," said Ian Pennell, vice president and general manager in Cisco's Access Technology Group. "Using Cisco IOS software to provide IP Multicast, the Cisco Hoot `n' Holler over IP solution eliminates the need for expensive dedicated leased lines, and protects customers' existing investments by utilizing existing hoot `n' holler equipment, such as turrets, bridges and four-wire phones. Cisco is pleased to help extend Prudential's leadership in the financial services industry with the Cisco Hoot `n' Holler over IP deployment."

Prudential Financial companies, with approximately $580 billion in total assets under management and administration as of March 31, 2002, serve individual and institutional customers worldwide and include The Prudential Insurance Company of America, one of the largest life insurance companies in the U.S. These companies offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, property and casualty insurance, mutual funds, annuities, pension and retirement related services and administration, asset management, securities brokerage, banking and trust services, real estate brokerage franchises and relocation services. For more information, visit www.prudential.com.