Cisco IP NGN Enables End-to-End Digital Video and IPTV Service Delivery for 'Video 2.0'

Market Wire, December, 2006

ITU TELECOM WORLD -- Cisco ® (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced a series of new and enhanced solutions that enable carriers of all types and sizes to deliver a "Connected Life" for businesses and consumers over the Cisco Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture. The Cisco IP NGN enables the development and delivery of application- and subscriber-aware services to help providers increase revenue and enhance efficiencies for improved profitability and control of their networks and businesses.

Today's video subscribers want choices, personalization, content sharing across communities and, often, instant gratification. They are no longer content to be just viewers; they are now producers or distributors, empowered by the worldwide IP network. This shift to "Video 2.0" recognizes that the network is now a "platform" driving the creation and interactive use of customized content for individuals and communities. This enables broad-scale collaboration, from social networking for consumers to TelePresence for business.

"Delivering the 'Connected Life' is about much more than just broadcast and on-demand video," said Mark Bieberich, Vice President, Communications Infrastructure, Yankee Group. "It's about personalized IP service bundles that integrate video, VoIP, Internet access, messaging, gaming and audio entertainment applications requiring dynamic multicasting, advanced QoS and policy management. The delivery of personalized service bundles that include video requires a new approach to service control at the network edge. The Cisco IP NGN architecture is a solid foundation upon which to develop these new service offerings and business processes."

Cisco continues to deliver on its IP NGN vision and architecture for carriers by introducing innovative solutions and reaching new customer milestones. Today's announcements are focused on defining, preserving and realizing digital video and IPTV. The Cisco innovations announced today also help ensure that service subscribers enjoy the highest-quality viewing experiences, regardless of content sources or device types.

For more information, please visit the Cisco Website: http://www.cisco.com/go/ipngn7

Defining Video Experience - To enable the personalized experience demanded by today's viewers, advanced content delivery systems must manage and deliver any content at any time. This "on-demand" requirement means formatting and provisioning content to any device across any network, anytime -- streaming content to PCs, PDAs, iPods, cell phones and other devices -- while maintaining the integrity of the visual experience.

Today's announcements include:

-- Introduction of the Cisco Content Delivery System (CDS). This solution is designed to transcend the limitations of existing video on demand (VoD) systems, giving providers an intelligent, distributed network platform for the development of personalized entertainment, interactive media and targeted advertising. The Cisco CDS is designed to expedite content delivery to subscribers' televisions, and, soon, to PCs, mobile handsets and other multimedia-capable devices.

For more information, please visit the Cisco Website: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2006/prod_120306d.html

Preserving the Video Viewing Experience - Once video is defined, it must be delivered to subscribers over the network. If not performed properly, the transport process can significantly degrade video quality, negatively affecting the overall viewing experience. To maintain content integrity and the overall quality of experience (QoE) their subscribers receive, providers are looking for both the advanced technology and the service expertise necessary to maximize their differentiation from competitive offerings.

Today's announcements include:

-- Significant enhancements to the Cisco 7600 Series Router portfolio, establishing it as the industry's first comprehensive Carrier Ethernet service edge platform for converged video, voice and data services with mobility (any-play). This integrated intelligence includes support for Cisco's Intelligent Services Gateway (ISG) -- announced earlier this year on the Cisco 10000 and 7200 Series platforms -- which provides policy control, service control, and subscriber management. Further enhancements include integration of video/voice Session Border Control (SBC) for IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and non-IMS applications.

For more information, please visit the Cisco Website: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2006/prod_120306c.html

-- Visual Quality Experience (VQE) technology improves the quality of video service and viewing experiences. VQE enables network-based rapid channel-change and video error repair, two significant challenges in the development and delivery of digital cable and IPTV services. Based on industry standards, including Real-time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP) and Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP), VQE enables providers to prepare networks for delivery of advanced video services such as IPTV and digital video by detecting and repairing packet loss on degraded copper lines. It further enables network-based rapid channel-change to enhance the viewing experience for IPTV subscribers. VQE will initially ship as an appliance and will soon be integrated into Cisco 7600 Series Routers.