- Cisco Promotes Smarter ICT Investments Through Intelligent Information Network Roadmap Hall 7 Stand A7-1 -

Dubai, UAE, September 23, 2004 - At GITEX 2004, Cisco Systems will lead the debate on the evolution of IP communications networks, counseling business leaders on developing their ICT strategy for the coming 12 months and beyond. Cisco's regional and international executive team will help plot a roadmap towards efficiency and productivity gains based on its extensive research and experience from working with global leaders in every industry sector. They will help managers maximize the lifespan of their infrastructure and realize full return on investment through adopting best-practice business processes.

"Industry has reached an inflection point where business requirements have transcended connectivity," said Ghazi Atallah, General Manager Cisco Systems Middle East. "This will continue to place pressures on existing infrastructures as an organisation's reliance on technology as an efficiency saver and productivity driver become increasingly essential components of its business plan."

The Intelligent Information Network (IIN) will be a keynote topic in Cisco's presentation area and set the agenda for strategy meetings. The IIN is Cisco's technology vision and path from integrated networks for data, voice and video to intelligent networks that can adapt and co-operate with applications. It helps companies take advantage of the network as an enabler of their business strategies to drive productivity and business agility -- while lowering total cost of ownership. Cisco's vision for the future translates into technology that will permit its user to easily and quickly keep apace all the changes that occur in the industry. The IIN also provides increased resilience and scalability for a company's business-critical communications infrastructure and provides managers with informed decision-making and increased flexibility to accept and benefit from change.

The first phase of integration of an Intelligent Information Network is Cisco's launch of the best-in-class routing portfolio engineered for secure, wire-speed delivery of concurrent data, voice and video services. These Integrated Services Routers are the first of their kind for the industry and will be on display at the Cisco stand for the first time in the Middle East. The new Cisco 1800, 2800, and 3800 Series routers deliver performance up to seven times the current levels. This portfolio of products has been designed to meet the needs of small- and medium-sized business customers as well as enterprise branch customers with models for a range of price and performance requirements.

 "IT investments are often sizeable, both in terms of financing and the longer term impact on a company's performance. It is therefore essential that ICT strategy is aligned with a powerful business plan. We have devised solutions which meet both sides of the equation and through the Intelligent Information Network we bring them together to develop immediate benefits and provide scope for disruption-less and cost-effective evolution in the longer-term," Ghazi Atallah concluded.

Cisco maintains a global market leadership position in routing, switching, IP Telephony, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) for the Small Office, Home Office (SOHO), Enterprise WLAN, Virtual Private Networking (VPN) and Firewall, and Intrusion Detection. Earlier this year it announced it had shipped over three million IP telephones and has recently launched a new generation of switches and routers. These latest innovations will be amongst the powerful portfolio of solutions that will presented for the first time in the Middle East at GITEX, and will help companies begin the transition towards Intelligent Networking.

In addition, Linksys, a division of Cisco, will be demonstrating business solutions for small and medium-sized companies such as non-managed switches, routers, storage products and VPN solutions. Through simulating a home environment at Cisco's GITEX stand, Linksys will also be demonstrating adapters for wireless networking of home entertainment equipment such as MP3 players as well as displaying a wireless range of voice products, wireless IP cameras, and the wireless range extender and broadband solutions.

Cisco's consultants will be joined on its stand by Charmed, Fastlane, Novotek, NCR and Synergy. For more information on Cisco Systems, please visit its regional Web site www.cisco.com/me.

-Ends-

About Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, this year celebrates 20 years of commitment to technology innovation, industry leadership, and corporate social responsibility. Information on Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

For further information on Cisco Systems, please contact:
Yousef Khalili                                                               Stephen King
Cisco Systems GCC                                                       MS&L PRZZ
el: +971 4 390 7777                                                      Tel: +971 4367 6161
Fax: +971 4 390 7771                                                    Fax: +971 4367 2615
ykhalili@cisco.com                                                         stephen.king@dubai.mslpr.com

© Press Release 2004