Cisco Introduces World's Most Advanced Networking Semiconductor: Cisco QuantumFlow Processor

Cisco® today introduced the Cisco QuantumFlow Processor, the most advanced piece of networking silicon in the world and the industry's first fully integrated and programmable networking chipset. More than half a decade in the making, the Cisco QuantumFlow Processor consists of 40 cores on a single chip and can perform up to 160 simultaneous processes, making it uniquely geared for today's network environments and several generations beyond what is currently available in network processors.

The Cisco QuantumFlow Processor was designed by a team of more than 100 Cisco engineers and has led to more than 40 patent submissions. Many of the same engineers who developed the Cisco Silicon Packet Processor (SPP) for the Cisco Carrier Routing System (CRS-1), which debuted in 2004, also worked on the Cisco QuantumFlow Processor. Continued advancements in technology, design and expertise enabled the team to increase the transistor density on the chip from a then networking-industry-leading 185 million on the Cisco SPP to more than 800 million on the Cisco QuantumFlow processor. Such density puts it in the tier of some of the most advanced processors developed by leading semiconductor companies.

About Cisco Systems
Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com.

Cisco to Demonstrate 'Visual Networking' Experiences at 2008 International CES

Cisco® today announced it will feature new consumer products and innovative prototypes at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show, January 7-10 in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The featured demonstrations highlight new visual networking experiences that combine streaming digital video technology and social networking applications.

Internet video accounts for 40 percent of Internet traffic today.* YouTube alone receives more than 65,000 new videos everyday.** This explosion of professional and user-generated video content, including video for use as entertainment and communications, can now span three screens via the TV, PC and mobile phone. Visual networking is enabling video content to be transparently created, further customized, stored and delivered on a single, integrated wire-to-wireless network.

"Video is the next wave of Internet disruption," said John Chambers, chairman and CEO, Cisco. "Cisco is at the forefront of this market transition, providing consumers with more choice, better navigation of content, higher quality video, and faster, more personalized interaction. Together with our partners, we are expanding the Human Network to create compelling visual networking experiences by connecting consumers to digital content in ways never before possible - when, where and how they want it."

The company will showcase several existing products and innovative prototypes at the 2008 International CES that deliver a superior multi-media experience and allow consumers to experience visual networking:

• Next-Generation Cable Set-Top Boxes and OpenCable Applications - Cisco offers access to the Internet and premium content services on consumers' TVs via its next-generation set-top boxes. The set-top boxes are also designed to stream digital video content through the entire home and offer consumers added storage for storing music, movies, programs and photos, and feature new interactive guide capabilities, search functions and more;
  


• Internet Protocol Set-Top Boxes and Middleware Solutions - Cisco's Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) set-top boxes integrate the home media experience by delivering many services including data, voice and video to many screens such as a television, PC, game station, mobile phone or other devices;
  


• Integrated Connected Home and Connected Life Technologies for Service Providers and Retail - Linksys Media Center Extenders work with PCs from most major manufacturers to stream video, including home video, live TV and movies plus music and photos to other devices in the home. Cisco also offers Interactive & Community Applications making it easy for service providers to support communications outside the home, across a broad range of devices; and
  


• High-Speed Data, Voice and Wireless Solutions - Wireless-N Dual Band Home Networking technology from Cisco's Linksys division offers video-grade wireless networking that can help consumers to stream high-quality premium video content on media devices throughout the home.
  

Cisco creates "connections" between people and what they treasure most. The company offers consumers innovative new ways to communicate with friends and family, discover entertainment content and access information in different locations via multiple devices. Cisco's consumer business includes the Linksys family of home networking products, Scientific Atlanta's set-top boxes, and Cisco's media solutions and content delivery system. Through a close collaboration with its technology partners, service providers, content publishers, retailers and consumer electronic device manufacturers, Cisco is expanding the Human Network to create new visual networking experiences.

To see demonstrations of Cisco's consumer products and prototypes at 2008 International CES, please visit room N246 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information about Cisco at 2008 International CES, go to http://newsroom.cisco.com/CES2008/.

About Cisco Systems
Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

Cisco, the Cisco logo and Cisco Systems, Linksys and the Linksys logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.

* RBC Capital Markets Video 2.0, September 10, 2007
** CIBC World Markets, Internet Video is Set to Reach Critical Mass, November 15, 2007

Cable Operators Can Deliver and Extend the Connected Life via Complete Cisco Cable ServiceMesh Solution

Cisco® today announced it is launching the Cisco Cable ServiceMesh solution, the industry's first integrated, end-to-end wireless architecture designed for cable operators who want to extend indoor Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) to outdoor mesh networks in municipalities, tourism centers, small businesses and universities in North America. This new architecture offers the foundation layer for broadband mobility.

Building on the Cisco Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture, the Cisco Cable ServiceMesh solution is a fully integrated outdoor wireless platform that helps enable operators to quickly deploy a variety of value-added, revenue-generating services via a single network infrastructure. By using the Cisco Cable ServiceMesh solution, cable operators can create new revenue opportunities through the deployment of an outdoor wireless mesh solution that utilizes existing infrastructure to cost-effectively expand their service offerings and their market reach, bringing the Connected Life to customers at home, at work or on the move.

The new Cisco Cable ServiceMesh solution is a comprehensive wireless broadband system comprising:

• Cisco Aironet® 1520 Series Lightweight Outdoor Mesh Access Points, a new set of wireless access points with integrated Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) 2.0 cable interfaces used to create metropolitan-scale, outdoor wireless networks, providing access to any Wi-Fi compliant device;


• Cisco Wireless Services Modules, which provide the control, scalability and reliability needed to build highly secure, carrier-grade indoor and outdoor 802.11 wireless networks;


• Cisco Wireless Control System software, an industry-leading platform for wireless local area network (LAN) planning, configuration, management, troubleshooting, and mobility services for the Cisco Cable ServiceMesh solution;


• Cisco Intelligent Services Gateway, which delivers advanced subscriber awareness, resource provisioning and access control capabilities. The Cisco Intelligent Services gateway also simplifies the creation and speeds the delivery of advanced IP services over Cisco IP NGNs. The Cisco Intelligent Services Gateway has been designed to support both IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and non-IMS based applications;


• Cisco Service Control Engine, a solution that controls packets on a Layer-7 application level while utilizing the existing IP wireless network infrastructure to provide a variety of services; and


• Cisco 7600 Series Router, the industry's leading edge router that delivers robust, high-performance IP/MultiProtocol Label Switching (MPLS) features for a range of service provider edge applications.

This combination makes possible multiple applications, including extending data, voice and video streaming outside the home, police, fire and emergency services, as well as those for city operations, such as remote access to city applications, automated meter reading, and permit verification and compliance.

The Cisco Cable ServiceMesh solution is a proven solution for delivering pervasive wireless access and network services required for outdoor Wi-Fi networks. The network convergence layer of the Cisco IP NGN architecture helps enable the convergence of disparate, service-specific networks to a single, more efficient and flexible IP-based infrastructure. With the Cisco IP NGN, service providers can deliver services more efficiently and effectively and provide the means to support tomorrow's bandwidth-intensive municipal, residential and business services.

Cisco Cable ServiceMesh Solution Offers Benefits to Multiple System Operators


The Cisco Cable ServiceMesh design allows operators to rapidly deploy and monetize value-added services in new markets. In turn, cities, convention centers and small businesses can improve productivity and economic growth, while streamlining their operations with the wide variety of applications enabled by new Wi-Fi networks.

Key benefits to service providers include:

• Reduce customer churn by offering mobility extensions to existing service offerings;


• Generate new revenue by offering indoor/outdoor wireless services to municipalities, universities and businesses;


• Cost efficiently deploy ubiquitous Wi-Fi by using existing cable infrastructure;


• Efficiently manage the new operations with an integrated end-to-end architecture that includes management for all application, services, devices, and users; and


• Position the company for future rollouts of broadband mobility services.

"Service providers can extend their existing network with an outdoor mesh and offer a multitude of services, not just to cities, but to educational and health care institutions, public utilities, convention centers and even to consumers," said Jeff Spagnola, vice president, service provider marketing at Cisco. "A well-planned outdoor wireless mesh network can address all customer groups and allow them to interact securely on the same network. The Cisco Cable ServiceMesh solution offers all that and more."

Cisco Unveils New Aironet 1520 Series Lightweight Outdoor Mesh Access Point

A new component of the Cisco Cable ServiceMesh solution is the Cisco Aironet 1520 Series, an outdoor wireless mesh platform that integrates Wi-Fi client access and wireless backhaul in a rugged, outdoor enclosure and features an embedded DOCSIS 2.0 cable modem to connect to existing cable plant.

Scheduled to be available in July 2007 in North America, the Cisco Aironet 1520 Series is designed to support dual-band radios compliant with IEEE 802.11a and 802.11b/g standards. The integrated DOCSIS 2.0 cable modem also provides the ability to power by cable plant helps enable cable operators to easily deploy mesh networks without requiring pole access rights which can be costly and time consuming. The ability to strand mount the Cisco Aironet 1520 Series on existing cable strand provides the ultimate flexibility for cable operators to easily expand their cable services to reach new customers.

Multiple power and mounting options provide flexibility in outdoor installations for the mesh access point. Wireless mesh radio performance is improved with the 802.11g 3-channel Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) technology for better access coverage. The Cisco Aironet 1520 Series uses an intelligent wireless routing algorithm to create a mesh network with other Cisco Aironet 1520 Series mesh access points providing network reliability and availability to meet the challenging requirements of outdoor deployments.

The Cisco ServiceMesh solution recently won the International Engineering Consortium InfoVision Award that recognizes the leading broadband products in deployment. For more information on Cisco Cable ServiceMesh solution and Cisco Aironet 1520 Series, visit Cisco booth 865 at SCTE Cable-Tec EXPO (June 20-22) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., or click the following URL:

www.cisco.com/go/cableservicemesh

About Cisco
Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

CSCO: Airbus Takes Off with Cisco Unified Communications

Cisco® today announced that Airbus has completed deployment of a Cisco Unified Communications system to help improve collaboration, increase productivity and simplify its communications infrastructure, which will support 45,000 employees. The completion of the deployment marks the shipping of 12 million Cisco Unified IP Phones.

Airbus has migrated from a traditional private branch exchange (PBX) system to a fully IP-based telephony system, with 30,000 extensions in France and 10,000 extensions in the UK. Airbus is using Cisco Unified Communications Manager call-processing software to cover all sites. The contract to implement and manage Airbus' IP Communication over a five-year period was signed in 2005 by Orange Business Services, the communications service operator and integrator that represents the business communications solutions and services provided by France Telecom Group.

Cisco Unified Communications is helping Airbus extend consistent communication services to all employees working at Airbus campus locations in France and the UK. Orange Business Services took just nine months to install the central architecture following initial configuration and planning. The solution was rolled out at a rate of up to 600 phones a day, highlighting the speed and ease with which Cisco Unified Communications can be implemented.

"Effective communication systems that encourage collaboration between employees and help improve company efficiency are essential in helping us respond to growing customer demands," said Robert Louge, head of IT Projects, Airbus. "Cisco's solution has helped us improve communications, reduce our spending by simplifying our communications infrastructure and allowed us to make a quick and simple transition to an IP-based Unified Communications platform."

Chris Dedicoat, President, European Markets, Cisco, said: "Shipping our 12 millionth Unified IP Phone to Airbus highlights the speed at which Cisco Unified Communications is being adopted and the benefits it brings to customers. The system deployed by Airbus will help it meet the communication needs of a growing business, reduce costs and encourage collaborative working, which will help increase the productivity of its employees."

About Cisco Unified Communications
Cisco Unified Communications system is part of an integrated solution that includes network infrastructure, security, mobility, network management and lifecycle services. Cisco Unified Communications offers flexible deployment and outsourced management options, end-user and partner financing packages and third-party communications applications. For additional information on the entire Cisco Unified Communications family of products and applications visit: www.cisco.com/go/unified

About Airbus
Airbus is a leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive family of airliners on the market, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats. Airbus has delivered over 4,500 aircraft to more than 250 customers worldwide and boasts a healthy order book in excess of 2,500 aircraft for delivery over the coming years. With an annual turnover of around 26 billion euros in 2006, Airbus is a global company with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK and Spain as well as subsidiaries in the U.S., China, Japan, Russia and the Middle East. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS company.

About Cisco Systems
Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com. Cisco equipment in Europe is supplied by Cisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.

CSCO: Cisco and IBM Expand Alliance to Centralize Service Management for Service Providers

Cisco® and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced an expansion of their existing strategic alliance to deliver new standards-based telecommunications service assurance and fault-management solutions. Next month, Cisco will introduce a service-management solution that combines Cisco Active Network Abstraction (ANA) technology with the industry-leading IBM Tivoli software to help service providers centrally manage new services. The new offering, Cisco Assurance Management Solution, will provide network fault monitoring, trouble isolation, and real-time service-level event management for large multi-vendor networks on a next-generation mediation platform.

Using the Cisco ANA platform mediation capabilities and IBM Tivoli technology, the Cisco Assurance Management Solution will help service provider customers change and evolve network devices and configurations without having to change their service management and operations support systems applications. This solution will enable service providers to more effectively manage Internet Protocol (IP)-based services and help dramatically reduce implementation and maintenance costs.

"Cisco and IBM have a long history of working together to improve the competitiveness of our joint service provider customers," said Al Zollar, general manager of Tivoli Software for IBM. "This new agreement gives service providers the combined benefits of proven IBM Tivoli technology together with Cisco's breakthrough approach to network mediation with an open, standards-based solution. As IBM looks to help our service provider customers deliver higher return on their network and IT investments, Cisco is a natural partner."

The initial version of the Cisco Assurance Management Solution will include IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus and Netcool/Precision technology. Cisco is also able to incorporate other Tivoli technologies in future versions of assurance solutions. Cisco will offer professional services to help ensure rapid implementation by its customers.

"Cisco Active Network Abstraction is the basis of future solutions being delivered to our service provider customers. This expanded collaboration with IBM provides customers with the confidence that Cisco's new device management and mediation products will work with IBM software," said Cliff Meltzer, senior vice president of the Network Management Technology Group at Cisco. "The commitment from IBM demonstrates the unique capabilities of Cisco ANA and will provide our joint customers with a platform that transforms their network into a strategic business asset."

The Cisco ANA is designed to be interoperable with IBM Tivoli software, including Tivoli Netcool/Impact and Tivoli Business Service Manager. This expanded alliance will help enable both new and existing Tivoli Netcool and Cisco Info Center customers to effectively take advantage of the benefits of Cisco's ANA platform. Cisco Info Center is the Cisco-branded version of Tivoli Netcool which is used by more than 500 of Cisco's largest customers. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Since 1999, IBM and Cisco have forged a unique, broad-reaching strategic alliance to better enable their customers' ability to innovate. The IBM and Cisco strategic alliance has more than 25,000 joint customers. The companies are a proven resource for the seamless and rapid integration of business processes, industry knowledge, information technologies, and the intelligence of the network, maximizing their customers' ability to envision, design, and innovate to exceed business objectives.

For more information about Cisco Assurance Management Solution, Cisco ANA, and the collaboration, visit www.cisco.com/go/ana

IBM Tivoli Netcool software has been selected by more than 1,000 service providers globally, including all of the top 20 carriers. The software helps service providers ensure quality, reduce operational costs and speed time to market. IBM's recent acquisition of Vallent further extends IBM's ability to help service providers address emerging opportunities in next-generation network transformation, fixed/mobile convergence, and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) deployment.

For more information about IBM Tivoli and Tivoli Netcool software, visit www-306.ibm.com/software/tivoli/solutions/service-provider/ .

Neuf Cegetel Extends Cisco IP NGN Infrastructure to Deliver Residential and Corporate IP Services with Cisco 7600 and CRS-1 Routers

Cisco® announced today that Neuf Cegetel, one of the leading alternative operators in France, has chosen the Cisco Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture to transform its network to deliver both residential and corporate IP services over the next three years. Neuf Cegetel has continued to grow its customer base and currently serves 4 million residential customers, out of which 2.3 million are broadband customers, and connects 148,000 business clients' sites.

Neuf Cegetel's residential network comprises approximately 200 points of presence (POPs) connected to around 1,200 central offices (COs) throughout France. Neuf Cegetel is already using Cisco IP NGN 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology in the broadband aggregation network to support the delivery of residential quadruple-play services, offering Internet access, telephony, more than 200 IPTV standard-definition and high-definition channels, video on demand, and mobility over ADSL services.

Neuf Cegetel is deploying Cisco 7600 Series Routers, including the new Cisco 7603 Router as the access and aggregation platform, at its POPS and COs to take advantage of the coverage of the residential network and significantly enhance its enterprise market coverage and service portfolio. Neuf Cegetel is also deploying Cisco's flagship CRS-1 Carrier Routing System to strengthen its core network with the benefits of a future-proof, reliable and scalable solution.

"We were looking for a single access solution that would fit into the French central offices to deliver both residential and corporate services," said Pierre-Alain Allemand, general manager of the network division at Neuf Cegetel. "Cisco worked closely with us and designed a new model of the 7600 Series Routers to meet our requirements, making it possible for us to smoothly transform the Neuf Cegetel network using a technology that we already fully understand. We also very quickly identified that the CRS-1 would be one of the best solutions on the market to fit with our exponential growth."

Thierry Drilhon, managing director of Cisco France and vice president of Cisco Europe, said: "Neuf Cegetel and Cisco have shared the vision of IP Next-Generation Networks as the ideal platform for delivering a high-quality experience in entertainment and communication to customers, whether they are at work, on the move or at home. We are focused on delivering what our customers need to help them stay at the forefront of innovation, and Neuf Cegetel is recognized as an innovation leader in Europe for both residential and corporate services."

Neuf Cegetel selected the Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing System with 10 Gigabit Ethernet interface modules to provide the transport across the IP/MPLS core network and the DSL aggregation layer. Ethernet VPN connectivity for large businesses and service provider customers is supported on an IP/MPLS-enabled core architecture based on the Cisco IOS® MPLS virtual private LAN service (VPLS) technology.

About Neuf Cegetel
Neuf Cegetel is the leading alternative operator in France. The company operates its own national network infrastructure, comprising nearly 45,000 kilometres of optical fibres, and has invested heavily in the rollout of its DSL access network. It now has a presence in over 1,200 subscriber connection units. This means that Neuf Cegetel is in a position to produce its own broadband services, control their costs and quality and sell them directly to 70% of the target population. Neuf Cegetel has a presence in all market segments, providing a wide range of innovative services to residential customers (more than 4 million, including 2.3 million broadband customers) and to enterprises (148,000 corporate sites connected), while 200 telecommunications and internet service providers benefit from its wholesale services. Neuf Cegetel, whose two key shareholders are Louis Dreyfus and SFR, reported revenues of 2,897 million euros in 2006.
www.groupeneufcegetel.fr

About Cisco Systems
Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Cisco news and information are available at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com. Cisco equipment in Europe is supplied by Cisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco Completes Acquisition of NeoPath Networks

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced it has completed the acquisition of privately-held NeoPath Networks, the leading provider of high performance and highly scalable file storage management solutions.

NeoPath's patented SMART virtualization technology and its File DirectorTM family of products simplify the management of network attached storage (NAS) and other file servers.

With the close of the transaction, the NeoPath team and product portfolio are now integrated into the Datacenter Switching and Security Technology Group (DSSTG), reporting up into Jayshree Ullal, Senior Vice President.

CSCO: Cisco Announces Agreement to Acquire SpansLogic

Cisco Systems, Inc., (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held SpansLogic Inc., of Mountain View, Calif. SpansLogic is a leading provider of processors that dramatically improve packet processing speeds across the network.

With each generation of Ethernet offering a 10x increase in speed, embedding SpansLogic performance into Cisco's switch platforms will lead to new levels of feature efficiency.

"It is imperative that the network be tightly integrated with very high speed processing capabilities eliminating bottlenecks," said Tom Edsall, Senior Vice President, Datacenter Business Unit (DCBU). "With SpansLogic, Cisco will be able to improve overall traffic efficiency and throughput across the network"

SpansLogic was founded in 2004 and has 14 employees in Mountain View, Calif.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition is subject to various standard closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of Cisco's fiscal year 2007, ending April 28, 2007.

Upon close of the transaction, the SpansLogic team and products will be integrated into DCBU reporting into Edsall.

CSCO: Cisco Commences Cash Tender Offer for WebEx at $57.00

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Wonder Acquisition Corp., has commenced its tender offer for all outstanding shares of WebEx Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: WEBX), at a price of $57.00 per share net to the seller in cash without interest, less brokerage fees and less any required withholding taxes. On March 15, 2007, Cisco and WebEx announced that they had signed a definitive merger agreement for Cisco to acquire WebEx.

The Board of Directors of WebEx had previously unanimously approved the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the tender offer; declared that it is in the best interests of WebEx's stockholders for WebEx to enter into the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby; declared that the tender offer is fair to WebEx's stockholders; and recommended that holders of shares of WebEx common stock accept the offer and tender their shares in the offer.

The tender offer is subject to certain conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase referenced below, including a minimum share tender condition, the expiration or termination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period, and the obtainment of applicable approvals under the antitrust, competition or merger control laws of other countries, and other customary conditions, as set forth in the merger agreement.

Unless the tender offer is extended, the tender offer and any withdrawal rights to which WebEx's stockholders may be entitled will expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on April 23, 2007 (which is the end of the day on April 23, 2007). Following the acceptance for payment of shares in the tender offer and completion of the transactions contemplated in the merger agreement, WebEx will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cisco.

The complete terms and conditions of the tender offer are set forth in the Offer to Purchase, Letter of Transmittal and other related materials filed by Cisco and Wonder Acquisition Corp. with the SEC on March 27, 2007. In addition, on March 27, 2007, WebEx filed a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC relating to the tender offer. Copies of the Offer to Purchase, Letter of Transmittal and other related materials, including the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, are available free of charge from Georgeson Inc., the information agent for the tender offer, toll-free at (888) 264-7052 (banks and brokers call (212) 440-9800), or Lehman Brothers Inc., the dealer manager for the tender offer, at (888) 610-5877 (toll free). Computershare Trust Company of New York is acting as depositary for the tender offer.

CSCO: AMD Enhances Business Performance with Cisco Intelligent Networked Manufacturing Solutions

Advanced Micro Devices Export Sdn. Bhd., the manufacturing facility of Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD), has adopted Cisco® Intelligent Networked Manufacturing Solutions to enhance efficiency and reduce lead times in its manufacturing cycle.

Based on a single open, intelligent, standards-based Ethernet platform, the Cisco Intelligent Networked Manufacturing infrastructure helps AMD link together collaborative applications that integrate information and processes spanning the entire manufacturing workflow. These solutions increase visibility and flexibility across the four major parts of a manufacturing organization: product development, supply chain management, production management, and sales and service management.

AMD is a leading global provider of innovative microprocessor solutions for computing, communications and consumer electronics markets. The company has a manufacturing facility in Penang, Malaysia, which assembles AMD microprocessors and employs more than 800 employees.

At the heart of AMD's infrastructure is the Cisco Ethernet to the Factory (EttF) solution, which bridges the gap between the corporate office and the production floor, allowing AMD to make strategic business decisions that are backed by real-time data from the plant floor. As an end-to-end solution, Cisco EttF allows highly secure, real-time visibility between the production floor and enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply-chain management (SCM) systems. It delivers the flexibility that allows customers to change orders or specifications without compromising the security and performance of existing production processes.

In addition to EttF, AMD also deployed a Cisco Unified Communications solution that has improved mobility collaboration throughout the company's operations, particularly in the clean room. A clean room is one of the most important requirements of precision parts assembly. The solution, which includes Cisco Unified IP Phones and a wireless Cisco Aironet® wireless network, enables AMD staff to communicate in the clean room using the Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7920. It is the only certified wireless phone allowed in that environment due to its low radiation emissions.*

In addition, with their increased mobility, most employees can now access information from wherever they are, saving significant time. Additional benefits include the increased efficiency of a single network that supports voice and data, which has in turn reduced the total cost of ownership as well as administrative costs.

"AMD is a model for how the manufacturing industry can make the most of networking technologies. The Intelligent Networked Manufacturing strategy enables manufacturing companies to take business efficiency to new levels even in physically challenging environments. By working closely with AMD, Cisco, together with the systems integrator, HP, was able to propose solutions that met its rigorous requirements," said Kumaram Singaram, Cisco's managing director for Malaysia.

* The radio module in the Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone 7920 is compliant with the requirements addressing RF exposure from radio frequency devices. These guidelines were developed by the industry based on guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO). The phone operates at power levels one-fifth to one-sixth of those in most standard cellular, Personal Communications Service (PCS), or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) phones.

CSCO: Cisco Completes Acquisition of Reactivity

Cisco Systems, Inc., (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced it has completed the acquisition of privately-held Reactivity, Inc., of Redwood City, California. Reactivity is a leading XML (eXtensible Markup Language) gateway provider for organizations ranging from commercial enterprises to the Global 500.

Customers and major software providers are evolving their enterprise software architectures from a client-server paradigm to a service-oriented architecture. In addition, customers are deploying a variety of Web 2.0 capabilities that are collectively transforming the World Wide Web from a collection of relatively static web sites to a services rich computing platform.

The Reactivity acquisition demonstrates Cisco's commitment to the expanding Application Networking Services (ANS) Advanced Technology segment, which is an important part of Cisco's Service-Oriented Network Architecture (SONA) strategy and vision. Reactivity complements and extends the capability of Cisco's ANS portfolio for these emerging application architectures.

With the close of the transaction, the Reactivity team and product portfolio are now integrated into the Cisco's Datacenter Switching and Security Technology Group (DSSTG), reporting into Jayshree Ullal, Senior Vice President.

Cisco Announces Agreement to Acquire WebEx

Cisco and WebEx today announced a definitive agreement for Cisco to acquire WebEx. WebEx is a market leader in on-demand collaboration applications, and its network-based solution for delivering business-to-business collaboration extends Cisco's vision for Unified Communications, particularly within the Small to Medium Business (SMB) segment.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cisco will commence a cash tender offer to purchase all of the outstanding shares of WebEx for $57 per share and will assume outstanding share-based awards, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $3.2 billion, or approximately $2.9 billion net of WebEx's existing cash balance. The transaction will be accounted for in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and the acquisition of WebEx is expected to close in the fourth quarter of Cisco's fiscal year 2007. Cisco anticipates this transaction will be neutral to its non-GAAP FY2008 earnings.

The acquisition has been approved by the board of directors of each company and is subject to various standard closing conditions, including approval under Hart Scott Rodino and similar laws outside the U.S.

"As collaboration in the workplace becomes increasingly important, companies are looking for rich communications tools to help them work more effectively and efficiently," said Charles H. Giancarlo, Chief Development Officer at Cisco. "The combination of Cisco and WebEx will deliver compelling solutions accelerating this next wave of business communications.

Cisco believes the network is a platform for all forms of communications and collaboration, and WebEx's technology and services portfolio complement Cisco's leadership in the Unified Communications and collaboration market, while providing Cisco with a new and unique business model to expand its presence in the fast-growing SMB market," Giancarlo continued.

"Cisco and WebEx share a vision of web collaboration as a key to accelerating business processes and critical to durable competitive advantage," said Subrah S. Iyar, CEO of WebEx. "Cisco's global reach and customer focus will help us extend our core web collaboration applications and continue to broaden the services we offer through the WebEx Connect platform."

WebEx's service portfolio includes technologies and services that allow companies to engage in real-time and asynchronous data conferences over the Internet as well as share web-based documents and workspaces that help improve productivity, performance and efficiency of workers in any size organization. WebEx's subscription-based services strategy has been key to its success, and Cisco plans to preserve this business model going forward.

Following the close of the transaction, WebEx will become a part of Cisco's Development Organization while maintaining its unique business model. Mr. Iyar will report directly to Mr.Giancarlo.

WebEx was founded in 1995 and held its Initial Public Offering (IPO) in July 2000. The company has close to 2200 employees. For FY2006, which ended December 31, 2006, WebEx reported revenues of $380 million.


About Cisco
Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com

About WebEx
With 2.2 million registered users, WebEx (NASDAQ: WEBX) is the global leader in on-demand applications for collaborative business on the web. These applications enhance high-touch business processes, such as sales and training, with efficient web-touch interactions. As an on-demand provider, WebEx is able to facilitate both internal and external collaboration. WebEx delivers its range of applications over the WebEx MediaTone Network, a global network specifically designed for the secure delivery of on-demand applications. WebEx applications support multipoint videoconferencing, web conferencing and application remote control. WebEx is based in Santa Clara, California and has regional headquarters in Europe, Asia and Australia. Please call toll free 877-509-3239 or visit www.WebEx.com for more information.

CSCO: BendBroadband Upgrades Data Storage to Improve Customer Service and Reduce Costs

BendBroadband, a privately owned, nationally recognized cable operator, has deployed a storage area network (SAN) based on Cisco® technology to improve customer service, reduce operating costs, and improve application performance. To address the performance, reliability, and scalability requirements of its growing business, the company upgraded its network-attached storage to a SAN based on Cisco storage network fabric switches.

Serving the fast-growing area of Bend, Oregon, BendBroadband was expanding beyond the limits of its old storage system. After researching the switch choices available, the cable operator selected Cisco MDS fabric switches because of reliability, support, compatibility with a wide range of storage devices, and a belief that Cisco is emerging as the market leader in storage networking technology. The new Cisco-based SAN has enabled the company to keep up with fast-paced growth, allowed them to expand their service offerings to business customers, and provided the capability for disaster recovery.

"Since we turned these switches on the performance has been astounding," said Bob McWhorter, network operations center manager at BendBroadband. "Our service times are less than a millisecond on disks located across the street."

As long-time users of command-line interfaces, BendBroadband's IT staff was also pleased with the ease-of-use of the Cisco switches. "The graphical user interface is really incredible," said Wade Holmes, network operations center (NOC) engineer for BendBroadband. "It's self-documenting. It doesn't let you make errors. You don't even have to install any software because it loads right off the switch. We were extremely impressed."

BendBroadband is also installing a Cisco MDS fabric switch in its auxiliary Network Operations Center located at a separate facility, to provide full data redundancy for the primary NOC and the capability for rapid disaster recovery. This ability helps to give BendBroadband's business and residential customers the confidence that the company can handle their current and future needs with complete assurance.

"With Cisco MDS fabric switches, small to midsize organizations can deploy cost-effective, high performance SANs that provide enterprise-class features such as non-disruptive firmware upgrades for high availability, extensive diagnostics for quick troubleshooting, and advanced management capabilities through Cisco Fabric Manager," said Rajeev Bhardwaj, director of product management, Data Center Business Unit at Cisco.

For further information about Cisco storage networking products and solutions, go to: www.cisco.com/go/storagenetworking

Cisco Announces Agreement to Acquire NeoPath Networks

Cisco Systems® today announced a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held NeoPath Networks, the leading provider of high performance and highly scalable file storage management solutions.

NeoPath's patented SMART virtualization technology and its File DirectorTM family of products simplify the management of network attached storage (NAS) and other file servers.

"Enterprise customers are asking Cisco how they can make better use of their existing IT infrastructure, and NeoPath is part of the answer," said Jayshree Ullal, Senior Vice President, Datacenter Switching and Security Technology Group (DSSTG). "NeoPath's technology will enhance Cisco's Services Oriented Network Architecture (SONA) direction and vision by establishing tighter linkages between file based data and network accelerated services."

The acquisition is subject to various standard closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the third quarter of Cisco's fiscal year 2007, ending April 28, 2007. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

NeoPath was founded in 2002 and has 55 employees based primarily in Santa Clara, Calif.

Upon close of the transaction, the NeoPath team and products will be integrated into DSSTG reporting up into Ullal.

CSCO: Cisco Expands Microsoft Interoperability to Address Customer And Partner Demand

Highlighting customer and partner demand for interoperability in the unified communications market, Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced it is expanding Microsoft® interoperability to provide collaborative real-time capabilities for customers using Cisco Unified Communications solutions with Microsoft Exchange 2007, Microsoft Live Communications Server 2005, and Microsoft Office Communicator. In addition, Cisco confirmed that its broad portfolio of Unified Communications solutions will support Microsoft Windows Vista and Internet Explorer (IE) 7.0.

"Cisco provides an open approach to unified communications, allowing customers to integrate a variety of application vendors, such as Microsoft, into their business environment," said Zeus Kerravala, senior vice president of enterprise research, Yankee Group. "It is clear that Cisco is partnering with Microsoft in unified communications to offer deep integration to joint customers."

With interoperability being critical to long-term customer success in the unified communications market, Cisco first highlighted its unified communications collaboration with Microsoft in March 2006, when the two companies announced integration between Microsoft® Office Communicator 2005, Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 and the Cisco Unified CallManager (now known as Cisco Unified Communications Manager 6.0). The business communication and collaboration benefits, such as allowing click-to-call or Cisco Unified IP Phone presence via Office Communicator, have accelerated partner deployment and customer adoption of this combined unified communications solution.

"The flexibility offered by a unified communications infrastructure was an ideal solution for us," said Scott Ferguson, Group IT Infrastructure Manager, Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd. "Leightons viewed Cisco Unified Communications and Microsoft Office Communicator as ideal communication technologies to enhance collaboration between our employees."

"Dimension Data develops communication solutions that combine technologies from both Cisco and Microsoft to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts," said Andrew Briggs, managing director, Converged Communications, Dimension Data. "By crafting solutions that contain both Cisco's and Microsoft's technologies, clients benefit from increased productivity gains, cost savings and business agility."

Building off its interoperability momentum, Cisco is showcasing several Microsoft interoperable unified communications solutions at VoiceCon Spring 2007, including:

Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 with the Presence and Instant Messaging Capabilities of Microsoft Live Communications Server (LCS) and Office Communicator - allowing users to quickly escalate instant messaging sessions to audio conferences for improved collaboration and to view presence information to determine availability, initiate ad-hoc audio conferences, invite users and initiate connection to the conference.
Cisco Unity 5.0 with Microsoft Exchange 2007 - providing Cisco Unity customers a seamless migration path from Exchange 2000 or 2003 to Exchange 2007. Cisco Unity, which has more than 7 million messaging seats deployed, offers enhanced security and networking integration with Cisco IP phones, legacy PBX and visual voicemail on mobile devices from Nokia, RIM as well as Windows-based mobile devices.
Cisco Unified Communications Manager with Microsoft Exchange 2007 - for customers that choose to deploy the new unified messaging capabilities of Exchange 2007 with the rich call processing, video, mobility, and presence services offered by Cisco Unified Communications Manager.
Cisco Unified Communications Manager with Microsoft Office Communicator - extends voice, video, and presence services, including advanced telephony features, security, quality of service, call admissions control and interoperability with legacy private branch exchanges (PBXs.). This latest version of Communications Manager (formerly CallManager) increases the scalability of this solution to 10,000 users per cluster and to more than 100,000 users for multicluster enterprise solutions, addressing the communication needs of large enterprise customers.
In the future, Cisco plans to add support for Microsoft® Office Communications Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Communicator 2.0, and is currently testing these solutions as part of the Microsoft® Office Communications Server 2007 beta program.

Microsoft Exchange 2007 interoperability with Cisco Unified Communications Manager is available now. Microsoft Exchange 2007 interoperability with Cisco Unity is scheduled to be available in May 2007. Increased scalability for the Microsoft Office Communicator, Microsoft Live Communications Server and the Cisco Unified Communications system is scheduled to be available in May 2007. Microsoft LCS click-to-conference with MeetingPlace audio and web conferencing is scheduled to be available in April 2007, as is the Unified MeetingPlace integration with Exchange 2007.

CSCO: IBM and Cisco Unveil Platform for Developing Unified Communications and Collaboration Solutions

IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced their intent to deliver a new platform for unified communications and collaboration client development. Based on open technologies such as Eclipse and OSGi, the platform will accelerate application development by enabling developers to easily include a rich set of communications and collaboration capabilities in their solutions. Additionally, the companies announced plans to deliver specific customer offerings including a joint solution based on the new client platform and a set of "plugins" that bring together the communications and collaboration capabilities of both companies.

At the core of the unified communications and collaboration (UC2) Client Platform will be an open set of application programming interfaces (APIs) offered by IBM as a subset of Lotus Sametime collaboration capabilities along with communication APIs provided by Cisco to access communications functionality such as voice and video services. The Lotus Sametime collaboration capabilities are built on IBM's Lotus Expeditor, which contains open technologies from OSGi and Eclipse. This allows customers and partners to build new classes of applications and services that are easily managed and run across desktops, laptops, web browsers, and mobile devices.

Cisco and IBM will adopt the UC2 Client Platform to develop their own unified communications and collaboration clients. Lotus Sametime 7.5 is based on this platform and IBM plans that future releases will continue to take advantage of the platform. Cisco also intends to develop future versions of its Cisco Unified Personal Communicator client based on this client platform.

In addition, the two companies intend to work together to promote the benefits of open technologies for development and will drive market adoption of the UC2 Client Platform among customers and partners. These activities are expected to include training, enablement and certification programs for developers, ISVs and unified communication providers.

A significant number of customers, developers, distributors and communications providers have already expressed their support for the UC2 Client Platform, including Berbee, Citrix Systems, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Nokia, Optimus, Presidio Networked Solutions, PSC Group, Radvision and Research in Motion. Comments from these companies may be found at: newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2007/eKits/quotesheet_030707.pdf or ibm.com/lotus/uc2.

"Here at Coca-Cola Enterprises, we are focused on leveraging our technology investments to enhance our employee productivity," said Ray Repic, Chief Technology Architect at Coca-Cola Enterprises. "The ability to provide our users with a single focal point for the full suite of applications they use every day, including such things as Cisco CallManager and Unity, Lotus Sametime and Notes is very strategic for us. The announced platform by Cisco and IBM will allow us to more fully integrate core applications as well as build additional applications to work with them via open APIs. We praise IBM and Cisco for working together to drive integration of these core capabilities and look forward to adoption of this important effort."

An open approach to development represents a significant opportunity for developers, ISVs and unified communications providers. Developers and ISVs have access to the more than 2.3 million existing members of the Eclipse and OSGi development communities to take advantage of this platform. Open APIs mean developers can create solutions with confidence, knowing that the APIs will not change at the whim of a vendor. Additionally, the need for unified communications providers and ISVs to recreate base UC2 capabilities is significantly reduced, saving time and development costs.

To help ensure the UC2 Client Platform is accessible and rapidly adopted in the industry, IBM plans to offer the platform to developers at no charge with minimal costs for support and redistribution. A certification program is also planned for organizations that license the UC2 Client Platform, helping to ensure consistency between product deployments and allowing them to claim compatibility with the platform.

The UC2 Client Platform is expected to be available second half of 2007 and an early software release is planned for developers and partners in the second quarter of this year.

Expanded IBM and Cisco Alliance Delivers New Value to Customers

Cisco and IBM today also announced they plan to combine unified communications and collaboration strengths as part of an expanded strategic alliance. The expanded relationship is expected to include: joint offerings based on the UC2 Client Platform, communication and collaboration products from both companies, and expanded go-to-market activities including Cisco selling Lotus Sametime and IBM selling Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco Unity, and Cisco Unified MeetingPlace.

In addition, Integrated Communications Services, from IBM Global Technology Services, is expected to offer assessment, design and implementation services on the full Cisco Unified Communications and Lotus Sametime portfolio, which will help clients accelerate implementation time, provide a quicker time to value and improve project success rates.

The joint offerings will help make business communication more efficient, customers more productive and partners more successful and are expected to include:


Click-to-Call and Voice Mail integration (planned availability for first half of 2007) - Lotus Sametime users will be able to send instant messages to and from Cisco Unified IP Phones, view and play Cisco Unity voice messages, and click-to-call another user directly from their Lotus Sametime 7.5.1 client.


New joint client offering (planned availability for second half of 2007) - In addition to the above functionality, a combination of capabilities will be offered from Lotus Sametime and a suite of functions from Cisco to include federated presence information, a soft phone, hard phone control, call history, conferencing and video telephony.


Cisco Unified MeetingPlace and Lotus Sametime and Lotus Notes integration (planned availability for second half of 2007) - Lotus Sametime Web conference integration with and control of Cisco Unified MeetingPlace audio and video conferences, and click to conference capabilities from Lotus Sametime and Lotus Notes.

For more information on IBM: www.ibm.com

CSCO:Cisco Completes Purchase of Selected Assets of Utah Street Networks, Inc.

Cisco Systems® (NASDAQ: CISCO) today announced that it has completed the purchase of select assets of privately-held Utah Street Networks, Inc., the operator of the social networking site Tribe.net.

Utah Street Networks uses a proprietary software infrastructure to create and maintain online communities on the Tribe.net website. As part of the asset purchase, this software will be integrated into the Cisco Media Solutions Group (CMSG), which is focused on infrastructure products to help digital media content owners improve the consumer experience. Employees from Utah Street Networks, Inc. will also be joining Cisco to continue software development.

Other terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Utah Street Networks was founded in 2003 and has seven employees based in San Francisco, Calif. The Utah Street Networks technology and certain members of team will join CMSG led by Dan Scheinman, Senior Vice President and General Manager. The deal does not include the Tribe.net site, which will remain completely independent of Cisco.

Cisco also announced the close of the acquisition of Five Across. With the close of the transaction, the Five Across team and technology now report into Scheinman.

CSCO:Cisco Opens S$3 million Customer Briefing Center in Singapore

Cisco® has established a state-of-the-art customer briefing center (CBC) in Singapore to showcase the latest innovations in Internet Protocol (IP) networking technology. The CBC also provides Cisco's Asia Pacific channel partners and customers with a live environment to test their solutions in multiple operating environments.

As part of Cisco's iP3 (interaction across people, private and public enterprise) agreement with Singapore's Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), the CBC will also enable Singaporean technology companies to test applications they have developed for interoperability with Cisco's extensive range of networking solutions. These companies can also showcase their own solutions at the CBC, potentially opening up opportunities with Cisco's regional partners and customers.

The Singapore CBC was inaugurated today by IDA's chairman, Lam Chuan Leong, and Cisco's president for the Asia Pacific region, Owen Chan. Also present at the opening ceremony were Chan Yeng Kit, chief executive officer of IDA Singapore, and Craig Gledhill, Cisco's managing director for Singapore and Brunei.

"IDA welcomes collaborative efforts with industry leaders, like Cisco, to help develop the Singapore infocomm industry in the area of next-generation networking technologies. The CBC will provide an environment for local infocomm players to test their solutions before bringing them to market," said Mr Chan Yeng Kit, CEO of IDA.

"The network is increasingly becoming the center of all communications and IT. The expanding role of the network builds on the end-to-end and architecture-based differentiation that Cisco has been investing in for many years. The Singapore CBC will showcase many of these technologies," said Gledhill.

Highlights of the Singapore CBC include two Cisco TelePresence rooms, two demonstration areas, and two media walls with rich multimedia content. Singaporean companies can make use of the Cisco TelePresence rooms to meet "virtually" with Cisco's partners and customers around the world, thus saving them the expense and time of traveling to those countries.

Said Andre Smit, Cisco's senior director of technical operations in Asia Pacific, whose team manages the facility: "The Singapore CBC provides a strong customer proof of concept of the ability of Cisco's technologies and solutions to transform businesses. The wide variety of advanced technologies that the CBC is equipped with also demonstrates Cisco's technology leadership and open and collaborative approach."

The demonstration pods in the CBC can be used individually or collectively to showcase technologies across different locations or environments.

On display are a number of Cisco's advanced technologies - including unified communications, security and wireless - with examples of how they can help customers increase business growth, agility, efficiency and productivity.

CSCO: Cisco Announces Agreement to Acquire Reactivity

Cisco Systems, Inc., (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Reactivity, Inc., of Redwood City, California. Reactivity is a leading XML (eXtensible Markup Language) gateway provider for organizations ranging from commercial enterprises to the Global 500.

Customers and major software providers are evolving their enterprise software architectures from a client-server paradigm to a service-oriented architecture. In addition, customers are deploying a variety of Web 2.0 capabilities that are collectively transforming the World Wide Web from a collection of relatively static web sites to a services rich computing platform. XML- and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)-based web services are becoming the de facto communications and information exchange standard for this new model of applications. Reactivity's industry leading XML gateways enable customers to efficiently deploy, secure, and accelerate XML and web services.

The acquisition demonstrates Cisco's commitment to the expanding Application Networking Services (ANS) Advanced Technology segment, which is an important part of Cisco's Service-Oriented Network Architecture (SONA) strategy and vision. Cisco ANS provides customers with shared application-aware services to improve the availability, performance, and security of applications delivered from the network platform. Reactivity complements and extends the capability of Cisco's ANS portfolio for these emerging application architectures.

"Customers continue to validate our on-going strategy of building more application services on the network platform," said Jayshree Ullal, Senior Vice President, Datacenter Switching and Security Technology Group (DSSTG). "Reactivity together with our Application Control Engine (ACE) provides a highly capable solution for customers' application delivery needs in the data center."

Under the terms of this agreement, Cisco will pay approximately $135 million in cash and assumed options of Reactivity. The acquisition is subject to various standard closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the third quarter of Cisco's fiscal year 2007, ending April 28, 2007.

Reactivity was founded in 1998 and has 56 employees in Redwood City, Calif.

Upon close of the transaction, the Reactivity team and products will be integrated into DSSTG reporting up into Ullal.

CSCO: Glasgow City Council Develops e-Government Strategy with THUS plc and a Cisco Connected Government Solution

Glasgow City Council is implementing Access Glasgow, a comprehensive e-government strategy to improve the delivery of services to nearly 600,000 citizens. Fundamental to this approach is a modern, high-bandwidth communications infrastructure provided to the Council by THUS and a unique relationship with Cisco®. Access Glasgow will deliver a citywide network platform to integrate data, voice and video communication and support a host of front-line applications like online consultation and planning, tax collection and benefit payments.

The programme will also enable greater integration between Council departments - such as social services and education - and external agencies like the National Health Service to provide citizens with a single point of contact for service delivery.

The programme is being funded by savings generated from improved technology, management and maintenance. The strategy focuses on combining voice and data networks, where appropriate, to give citizens, elected members and council employees the same level of service whether they communicate with the council in person, by phone, by fax or online.

Bailie Alan Stewart, information and communications technology spokesperson for the Glasgow City Council said, "E-government is first and foremost about changing the way the Council works, rather than simply being about technology. ICT has the capability to enable the Council to deliver high-quality services at best value as well as make a real contribution in assisting all of our citizens to develop to their full potential. However, we need high-quality technology to do this, and the expertise of companies like Cisco and THUS continues to play a key role in helping the city achieve this vision."

The Council network comprises local- and wide area networks (LANs and WANs) that connect 300 offices. THUS, using the Cisco Unified Communications System, will deliver IP telephony services to Council staff and a multi-lingual contact centre. With advice from Cisco on wireless technologies, the Council has also developed a wireless communications strategy which will include facilities such as hot-spots in libraries around Glasgow.

Cisco technology and THUS services are already being used to support connected-government initiatives such as the Glasgow Young Scot Card, an electronic card that gives young people in Glasgow access to leisure facilities, libraries, discounts at local shops, and a payment facility for school meals. Cisco technology is also enabling the use of innovative applications such as VIPonair, Europe's first Internet radio for the visually impaired, and it is providing on-line access via libraries to the Real Learning Partnership which brings together resources from the key learning providers in Glasgow including universities, colleges, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow and the Council.

Glasgow City Council is developing its city-wide network with THUS based on Cisco Catalyst® 6500 Series Switches and Cisco Catalyst 3560 and 3750 workgroup switches. The Cisco Unified Communications System comprises of Cisco Unified CallManager for the telephony system, Cisco Unified IP phones and Cisco Unified Contact Centre.

"Glasgow City Council is an example of how utilising the knowledge and expertise of companies such as Cisco and THUS- as well as its technology - are helping local governments plan and deploy improved e-government services to the community," said Paul Wingate, Head of Public Sector, Cisco Scotland. "Cisco is at the centre of a shift in service provision, where local governments are not just speeding up service delivery but are also changing the way they work to make services more cost effective and more accessible to more people."