Cisco Systems and Software.com Join Forces to Develop Unified Communications for the Wireless Market

Business Wire, Nov 2, 1999

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 2, 1999--

Unified Communications Bring Together Voicemail, Email, Fax

and Paging Services over a Single Internet-Based Network

Cisco Systems, Inc., (Nasdaq:CSCO) the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, and Software.com (Nasdaq:SWCM), a leading developer of carrier-scale Internet infrastructure applications, today announced a joint initiative that intends to extend unified communications services beyond the desktop computer to the wireless market.

This initiative jumpstarts the convergence of Internet Protocol (IP) networks and wireless networks -- making it possible to realize the "access anywhere" promise of wireless data communications.

The market for wireless communications is exploding and International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates worldwide cellular/PCS subscribers in 1998 were 303 million and will reach more than 1 billion by the year 2003. From audio email for car or train commuters to mobile retrieval of faxes and emails from a wireless device, unified communications marries the two separate worlds of phone and Internet, and integrates them over a single Internet network.

This enables a user to access voicemails, emails, pages and faxes from a single mailbox regardless of location, time or device.

Moreover, service providers can realize an immense benefit by moving wireless services from traditional telecommunications networks to more cost-effective and flexible IP-based networks. Cisco and Software.com have joined forces with the intent to offer service providers the networking equipment combined with a carrier-class, scalable unified communications software platform and Internet infrastructure applications.

In turn, service providers can offer a broad array of unified communications products to their wireless customers today. Moving to a unified communications platform also enables service providers to combine traditional telephony products with Internet applications.

"The Internet is reshaping all communications, including the world of wireless services, ranging from audio email for commuters to broadband Internet access for business people on the road," said Don Listwin, executive vice president, Cisco service provider and consumer line of business.

"This joint initiative with Software.com will help integrate data, voice and information services over a single Internet-based network and jumpstart a new category of Internet-based wireless services for service providers. The initiative also further extends a new business model for Internet companies, connecting businesses with customers through an open Internet Ecosystem."

The vision of the Cisco/Software.com initiative intends to change the nature of communications by providing the seamless unification of Internet and wireless telephony applications. Software.com is joining Cisco on this initiative by providing a truly scalable, reliable, available and extensible infrastructure for storing and forwarding messages regardless of device, media or content.

Consumers and business users alike will be able to deliver and receive voicemail, fax and email to, and from, a unified mailbox. The users will then be capable of receiving or sending notifications based on changes to their mailboxes. These notifications can be generated as pager, wireless SMS (Short Message Service) or message waiting indicators, depending on intelligent user customizable filters.

The unified platform also enables users the added convenience of receiving and delivering electronic messages that contain content-filled notifications provided by services such as Yahoo!

"Internet service providers are constantly looking to offer the latest in value-added services to retain their customers and grow their businesses," said John MacFarlane, CEO, Software.com.

"The wireless market represents a huge opportunity for ISPs, but the challenge has been moving those users from traditional telecommunications lines to an IP-based network. Our announcement today with Cisco represents a big step in helping service providers overcome this obstacle and expand their services to the mobile user by inserting the 'intelligence' into the network."

Additionally, Cisco and Software.com intend to dedicate resources to train leading Systems Integration (SI) firms to seamlessly integrate and deploy unified communications for leading, global ISPs and wireless providers. Telcordia Technologies, Inc. (formerly Bellcore), the world's largest provider of operations support systems, network software and consulting to communications companies worldwide, is the first SI to participate in this initiative.

Other companies will be joining the Cisco unified communications initiative in the future.

Today's announcement serves as another proof point of Cisco's commitment to a "New World" architecture where data, voice and video flow over a single Internet-based network. Cisco's solution is based on its Unified Communications Software products, which enable the seamless integration of voice and Internet applications that allow service providers to offer value-added services.