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Press Release
CABLE & WIRELESS AND CISCO
TO ACCELERATE COOPERATION ON DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF IP
CONVERGENCE SOLUTIONS
Cable & Wireless First
to Offer Fully Managed End-to-End, Global IP Platform
Required to Support the Latest IP-enabled Data, Video and Voice
Desktop Applications
LONDON April 24, 2002 Cable & Wireless
(LSE: CW; NYSE: CWP), the global telecommunications group, today
announced a four-year strategic relationship with Cisco Systems,
Inc. to accelerate the development and expansion of Cable &
Wireless Internet Protocol (IP)-based communications services
through a technical and marketing agreement that includes the build
out of a global Cisco Powered Network (CPN) combined with joint
marketing and sales initiatives, for both the indirect and direct
channels as well as cooperation in developing concepts for next
generation products and services.
This agreement will focus specifically on the growing demand for
new and innovative data and voice convergence solutions. Through
its relationship with Cisco, Cable & Wireless plans to be the
first company to provide on a global basis both fully-managed local
area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) components for a
single IP platform required to support the latest advancements in
desktop-to-desktop data, video and voice communications.
The services, which Cable & Wireless will develop with Cisco's
cooperation, branded Cable & Wireless IP Convergence solutions,
will offer businesses the ability to converge their data and voice
network over a single IP infrastructure, thereby enabling them to
avoid the time and expense of building, maintaining and operating
several networks. In addition, the services will help businesses
to increase productivity by improving communications between employees,
customers and partners through the deployment of the latest IP-enabled
desktop-to-desktop communications applications. The services, which
will include network-based IP-VPN, IP-LAN and IP-private branch
exchange (IP-PBX), are targeted towards multinational corporations
as well as medium to large-sized businesses.
These solutions will be delivered over a privately managed Cable
& Wireless Cisco Powered Network (CPN) with Quality of Service
(QoS) characteristics to support the specific requirements of data,
video and voice applications.
Cable & Wireless has delivered a convergent communications
solution for Marks & Spencer which has produced scalable, tangible
business benefits, said Adrian Pratt, technical architect,
Marks & Spencer. Our contract with Cable & Wireless,
which incorporates Cisco technology, offers us best of breed solutions
from two leading global players. Marks & Spencer is the
UKs leading clothing retailer with more than 300 stores across
the UK.
Cable & Wireless IP Convergence Solutions
Cable & Wireless has already developed and brought to market
in select regions several IP Convergence solutions bundled with
Cisco customer premise equipment (CPE), including Cable & Wireless
IP-VPN QoS in the UK and Cable & Wireless IP-LAN in the UK and
US. Cable & Wireless expects to introduce IP-VPN QoS in the
US during the second quarter of 2002 and in Europe and Japan later
in 2002.
With this agreement, Cable & Wireless is taking a leadership
position in delivering new and advanced desktop-to-desktop IP solutions
that allows businesses to converge data and voice networks in their
pursuit of cost savings and increased productivity, said Don
Reed, CEO, Cable & Wireless Global. By expanding our relationship
with Cisco, we are better positioned to utilize Ciscos technology
leadership and distribution channels to deliver new IP solutions
to the market quickly.
Global Cisco Powered Network
To support these new solutions, Cable & Wireless will deploy
a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS)-based IP-VPN using Cisco
equipment and technology, including Cisco 12000 and 10000 Series
Internet Routers, Cisco 7500, 7200 and 3600 Series Routers and Catalyst
6500 Routers in addition to a host of other Cisco products. This
CPN, already operating in the UK for more than a year, is now being
deployed in the US with anticipated rollout in other regions and
will form the foundation over which Cable & Wireless IP Convergence
solutions will be delivered. As a private MPLS IP network dedicated
solely to carrying data and voice traffic from these services, Cable
& Wireless will be able to deliver global QoS parameters to
support the specific requirements of data, video and voice applications.
This agreement allows Cisco to deliver customized, differentiated
solutions for Cable & Wireless end-user customers. The
goal is to provide them with complete network technology and support,
saving them time and resources while freeing them to focus on their
core business and operations, said Bill Nuti, senior vice
president of Worldwide Service Provider Operations, Cisco Systems.
Focusing on IP data and voice convergence solutions helps
customers using these services become more competitive. Additionally,
because this is a private, dedicated MPLS network, C&W can offer
customers specific QoS guarantees for individual applications, such
as data, voice and video.
About Cable & Wireless
Cable & Wireless is a major global telecommunications business
with revenue of over £8 billion (US$11 billion) in the year
to 31 March 2001 and customers in 70 countries and consists of two
core and complementary divisions: Cable & Wireless Regional
and Cable & Wireless Global. Cable & Wireless Regional offers
a full range of telecommunications services in 35 countries around
the world. Cable & Wireless Global's focus for future growth
is on IP (internet protocol) and data services and solutions for
business customers. It has developed advanced IP networks and value-added
services in the US, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region in support
of this strategy. With its financial strength and the capability
of its global IP infrastructure, Cable & Wireless holds a unique
position in terms of global coverage and services to business customers.
For more information about Cable & Wireless, go to www.cw.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain estimates, projections
and other forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe-harbor
provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. Because these forward-looking
statements include risks and uncertainties, actual future results
may differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the
statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors
that are beyond Cable & Wireless and Ciscos ability
to control or estimate precisely, such as future market conditions,
currency fluctuation, the behavior of other market participants,
the actions of governmental regulators and other risk factors detailed
in Cable & Wireless and Ciscos reports filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not
to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak
only as of the date of this press release. Cable & Wireless
and Cisco are not obligated to publicly release any revisions to
forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this
press release or unforeseen events.
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