SBC, Cisco Forge Strategic Marketing Alliance To Speed Deployment of Open-Standard, New World Data and IP Services Gains Cisco Powered Network Distinction - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, April 24, 2000

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.

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. FMI: http://www.cisco.com.