Callisma Forges Strategic Alliance With Cisco; Leading Network Consulting Firm Closes $25 Million in Second Round Funding

Business Wire, July 24, 2000

Business Editors

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 2000

Callisma, Inc., a leading network architecture services company, today announced a strategic alliance with Cisco Systems, Inc. This alliance further strengthens the relationship between Callisma and Cisco as the companies continue to build and expand technology and consultative resources in high priority areas for Service Providers, including optical networking, packetized voice and delivery of IP-based services. In addition, Callisma today announced that it has secured $25 million in second round funding by Cisco Systems, which will be used to expand its infrastructure and scale its portfolio of consulting capabilities, further helping Cisco and Callisma to accelerate their leadership in networking for the Internet.

"As service providers make the transition to New World business models, it is increasingly important to provide an end-end Internet solution," said Kevin DeNuccio, senior vice president, service provider operations, Cisco Systems Inc. "Cisco's strategic alliance with Callisma enables both companies to address the growing needs of the service provider market, which is expected to grow exponentially over the next 5 to 10 years."

This strategic alliance between Cisco and Callisma is an expansion of an existing relationship on multiple levels, including:

-- In April, Callisma qualified to join Cisco's Professional

Services Partner Program, attaining strong recognition of its

continuous investment in Cisco Systems' training and

technology, and its commitment to providing leading

internetworking service and support to joint Cisco and

Callisma customers.

-- As a Professional Services Partner, Callisma also gained

membership within the Cisco New World Ecosystem Partner

Program in the area of Systems Integration. The Cisco New

World Ecosystem is a community of technology companies that

assist service providers in deploying revenue-generating

services to their customers.

-- Callisma and Cisco are partnering for strategic engagements

around the country involving next generation technologies,

such as complex internetworking, convergence, and optical.

"Cisco's partnering with Callisma demonstrates the value of providing networking expertise to help enable service providers and enterprises to meet the demands of today's customers. Cisco and Callisma will help service providers differentiate themselves from a sea of competitors," said Ralph Troupe, president and CEO of Callisma. "We look forward to continuing and expanding our relationship with Cisco."

Callisma Investors and Board of Directors

As part of the alliance between Cisco and Callisma, Kevin DeNuccio, Cisco's senior vice president, service provider operations, will join the Callisma Board of Directors. DeNuccio also serves on the Board at KPMG Consulting, Inc. In addition to the Cisco investment, Callisma is funded by Sequoia Capital and Douglas Leone, a partner at Sequoia and Callisma's chairman of the Board.

About Callisma

Callisma, a leading network architecture services company, delivers world-class consulting services that help today's service providers design and deploy networks that deliver optimal customer experience. Callisma is the first major services company to completely align its offerings with the strategic needs of service providers to enable them to rapidly deploy differentiated services. Callisma's consultants deliver consistent, best quality results in highly complex deployments and critical emerging technologies including optical, broadband and packetized voice.

Leading service providers, including Qwest Communications International, CTC Communications and NaviSite, Inc. work with Callisma experts to architect and build their networks.

Callisma is headquartered in Silicon Valley and has offices located in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Columbus, Irvine, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Washington, D.C. and White Plains, N.Y. Callisma can be reached at 888/805-7075 or at www.callisma.com.