Cisco Launches Partner Technical Support Services Portfolio in Twelve New Countries Including the 10 New EU Member States

Business Wire, May 19, 2004

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2004

Portfolio Helps Enable Partners to Provide Customers a

Continuum of Consistent, High-Quality Service

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CSCO) today announced the schedule for availability of its new service portfolio for qualified partners, Partner Technical Support Services, in the 10 countries that officially joined the European Union on May 1, 2004 and also in Iceland and Liechtenstein.

This announcement concerns Cisco(R) Shared Support and Cisco Brand Resale, programs included in the Partner Technical Support Services portfolio. The Cisco Shared Support program is designed to help enable qualified partners to sell and deliver high-quality network technical support services to their customers under their own brand, backed by Cisco technology experts, intellectual capital, support tools, software and leading practices. Cisco Shared Support helps partners differentiate their services offerings, provides access to Cisco parts and logistics infrastructure, rewards partners based on performance and customer satisfaction, and can enable an annuity-based fee structure. The second program, Cisco Brand Resale, enables partners to bolster and extend their ability to provide customer support. Cisco Brand Resale enables the partner to maintain their relationship with the end customer while providing support for Cisco technology without making an investment in support infrastructure. This powerful combination gives customers of participating partners the ability to make a value-based choice. Both programs provide partners with a core set of deliverables on which they can build more extensive service practices. This increases customer options while giving partners the ability to retain and expand existing customer relationships.

"The Cisco Shared Support program was developed to help enable qualified partners to address expanding customer needs for flexible support programs. This program allows partners to choose the Cisco service components which will help extend their own services offerings. This allows partners to differentiate their own brand of support relative to their competition while continuing to maintain high levels of end-customer satisfaction," says Karl Meulema, vice president, Services Marketing and Channels, Customer Advocacy, Cisco Systems. "The Cisco Brand Resale program helps enable the partners to address expanded technological and geographical support needs in a way that lets them continue to own the relationship with their customers."

"NextiraOne is delighted to add the Cisco Partner Technical Support Services portfolio to its existing service practice," said Foucault de la Rochere, Services Vice President, NextiraOne Europe. "Cisco's new Partner Technical Support Services will enable NextiraOne to provide a broader level of service to its customer base and enable us to differentiate our own brand of support relative to the competition while continuing to maintain high levels of end customer satisfaction."

"Datametrix is very satisfied with the program and the follow up Cisco has done in the transition process. We think this will help Datametrix provide service for the Norwegian market with better margins," said Brede Bjornstad, technical director, Datametrix.

Through the Shared Support model, partners are responsible for their service sales, contract administration and upgrades, and level I and II Technical Assistance Center (TAC) support. Cisco then provides the partners with Cisco IOS(R) Software releases and upgrades, level III TAC support and access to the Cisco parts delivery infrastructure, all of which the partner will administer on behalf of their customer. Additionally, the Cisco Shared Support program offers incentives to the partners, based on performance and customer satisfaction.

The Cisco Shared Support program is available to certified channel partners that offer 24-hour live technical support, have an electronic case management and ordering infrastructure and have an automated asset management system.

The Cisco Brand Resale offering allows partners to resell Cisco service programs and contracts. The Cisco Brand Resale program enables partners to provide their customers with support services without having to make significant investments in developing and operating their own support infrastructure.

The new portfolio will serve as the replacement for Cisco SIS98 (Systems Integrator Support Exhibit 98) and RSA98 (Reseller Service Agreement 98).

Availability of Cisco Partner Technical Support Services Programs

The Cisco Brand Resale Program is scheduled to be generally available from May 1, 2004 in the following countries: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The Cisco Shared Support Program is scheduled to be generally available from September 30, 2004 in the following countries: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, Iceland and Liechtenstein.