SBC, Cisco Forge Strategic Marketing Alliance To Speed Deployment of Open-Standard, New World Data and IP Services.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

SAN ANTONIO and SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2000

Cisco Becomes SBC's Preferred Provider of Data Networking

Equipment for Key Platforms;

SBC Becomes a Cisco Preferred Provider of Network Services,

Gains Cisco Powered Network Distinction

Note: A teleconference for media/industry analysts will be conducted at 11 a.m. EDT. Call-in: 800/235-0452 for national callers and 785/832-1523 for international callers. A replay of the call will be available two hours after the completion of the teleconference at 888/203-1112, pass code: 749838. Additional information about this announcement is available at www.sbc.com and www.cisco.com.

SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC), one of the nation's premier providers of data communications and network integration, and Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced a strategic marketing and sales alliance to accelerate delivery of open-standard New World broadband services to customers.

Through the multi-billion-dollar agreement, Cisco becomes SBC's preferred provider of data networking equipment for five key platforms - Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Enterprise Virtual Private Network (EVPN), Virtual Point of Presence-Dial Access Service (VPOP-DAS), Broadband Capabilities Gateway (BCG) and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) services. With this agreement, Cisco gains the opportunity for its equipment to achieve high availability and reliability status across SBC's network, which serves 60 million access lines in 36 million customer locations nationwide.

Through joint marketing and sales efforts, SBC expects to enhance revenue streams by packaging Cisco equipment along with its own advanced voice, broadband data and network integration services. The ability to package both products and services gives SBC and Cisco a significant advantage with customers who are demanding complete, end-to-end network solutions.

By installing Cisco's hardware and equipment in its world-class network, SBC also gains the prestigious Cisco Powered Network designation, becomes a Cisco preferred provider of network services and further bolsters its ability to deliver next-generation IP services to customers.

The SBC/Cisco alliance also consists of a series of joint research and product development activities that will help both companies continue to meet growing customer demand for emerging data and Internet Protocol (IP) services.

Financial terms of the alliance were not disclosed. The deal is non-exclusive and applies to SBC's service offerings in the continental United States.

"Our goal is to provide customers with end-to-end, customized packages of advanced voice, broadband data and network integration services on a global scale through one of the most efficient, flexible, scalable and future-proof networks in the world," said Edward E. Whitacre Jr., chairman and CEO of SBC. "Joining with a premier data and Internet leader like Cisco brings us closer to becoming the only communications company our customers will ever need and allows us to deliver top-line revenue growth."

"In today's Internet economy, companies are combining their individual strengths to create joint value for their mutual customers," said John T. Chambers, CEO and president of Cisco Systems, Inc. "Cisco and SBC's combined expertise in data communications and networking will give our customers access to an ecosystem of infrastructure and service partners, allowing them to compete more effectively. SBC is a world-class organization, and we look forward to working together in the future."

Cisco is the leading provider of open, standards-based networking and Internet solutions, serving enterprise, service provider, small/medium-sized business and consumer markets. SBC is the leading DSL provider in the nation and a major provider of Frame Relay and cell relay services, operating more than 1,500 switches over its fiber-optic network (100,000 route fiber miles) in its operating area.

Growth Opportunities

The SBC/Cisco alliance is a natural progression in the already strong relationship between the two companies. It more closely unites SBC's broadband data capabilities and huge service area with Cisco's data networking, IP and carrier-grade networking infrastructure expertise. It also builds on SBC's position, through SBC DataComm, as one of Cisco's top premier value-added resellers and one of the leading employers of Cisco-certified experts, with more than 700 professional certifications today and a commitment to grow to almost 2,000 certifications this year. The alliance helps both companies to achieve their growth objectives in the fast-growing data, Internet and e-commerce space.

Over the next three years, SBC targets its data revenues to double, growing at a compound annual growth rate of more than 30 percent. SBC already serves more than 100,000 customers with broadband networking services and more than 60,000 customers with e-commerce and Web-hosting applications.

The Cisco alliance also creates synergies with other recent SBC alliances, giving SBC an outstanding portfolio of data and Internet assets. Additionally, the alliance complements SBC's Project Pronto, a $6 billion initiative to make DSL and other broadband-powered services available to 80 percent of SBC's wireline customers by 2002 and to accelerate the convergence of SBC's voice and data backbone systems into a next-generation, packet-switched platform.

In working with Cisco, SBC takes yet another step in re-architecting its network to support IP-based services. Cisco is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, selling $17 billion of equipment and services to enterprise, service provider and small/medium businesses, as well as consumers, across the world.

Through the alliance, Cisco will provide SBC with highly reliable solutions that will enable SBC to efficiently deploy New World services to its customers on a broad geographic scale and ensure near-ubiquitous service reach. By teaming with SBC, Cisco is well positioned to handle a sizeable volume of network service fulfillment, minimizing post-sale costs and improving service to SBC customers.

"This is a unique collaboration between two premier companies that together can address today's customer demand for end-to-end managed services and connectivity solutions," said Kitty Weldon, program manager at The Yankee Group. "This 'A to Z' relationship will benefit all types of customers as SBC and Cisco collaborate in the lab, product development and marketplace - all to the benefit of customers by delivering much faster and more complete solutions. This is a three-way win for customers and both companies."

A look ahead

Throughout the next year, SBC will deploy Cisco equipment in five of SBC's key data platforms to provide customers with fast and reliable data and voice communications services. These services include:

-- DSL, for always-on access to the Internet and corporate

networks at speeds up to 200 times faster than dial-up modems.

-- EVPN, for secure, cost-effective interoffice connections and

remote network access through a shared IP backbone.

-- VPOP-DAS, for Internet service providers and enterprise

customers to have more flexible and efficient dial-up access.

-- BCG, a front-end service for DSL customers to quickly and

easily switch between ISPs and corporate LANs.

-- ATM services, for IP-enabled data, voice and video-transport

services through high-speed, packet-based technology.

Additional Terms of the Agreement

In addition to the primary components of the agreement, SBC and Cisco will work cooperatively in several other initiatives to develop and market advanced voice and data services. Other initiatives include:

-- Jointly identifying emerging customer needs, and designing,

testing and implementing the highly available and reliable

data and network integration solutions.

-- SBC collaborating with Cisco's JumpStart Joint Marketing

Program to jointly develop and define new service

opportunities for SBC and to participate in the creation of

joint marketing initiatives for bundled solutions.

-- Developing a program through which Cisco resellers can offer

service packages combining Cisco equipment and SBC's data

services.

About SBC

SBC Communications Inc. (www.sbc.com) is a global communications leader. Through its subsidiaries' trusted brands - Southwestern Bell, Ameritech, Pacific Bell, SBC Telecom, Nevada Bell, SNET and Cellular One - and world-class network, SBC's subsidiaries provide local and long-distance phone service, wireless and data communications, paging, high-speed Internet access and messaging, cable and satellite television, security services and telecommunications equipment, as well as directory advertising and publishing. In the United States, the company currently has 90.4 million voice grade equivalent lines, 11.2 million wireless customers and is undertaking a national expansion program that will bring SBC service to an additional 30 markets. Internationally, SBC has telecommunications investments in 23 countries. With more than 204,000 employees, SBC is the 13th largest employer in the U.S., with annual revenues that rank it among the largest Fortune 500 companies.

About Cisco

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

Cisco, Cisco IOS, Cisco Systems and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.

This release contains projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the companies that involve risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned that these statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results. Readers are referred to the documents filed by Cisco and SBC with the SEC, specifically the most recent reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q, which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including risks associated with acquisition strategy, dependence on new product offerings, competition, patents, intellectual property and licensing, future growth, rapid technological and market change, manufacturing and sourcing risks, Internet infrastructure and regulation, international operations, volatility of stock price, financial risk management and potential volatility in operating results, among others.

SOURCE: SBC Communications Inc. and Cisco Systems, Inc.