BT Places Cisco Systems on 21st Century Suppliers List

Cisco Systems (www.cisco.com) announced further information regarding its strategic involvement in BT's 21st Century Network (21CN) transformation project following BT's announcement today that it has selected Cisco Systems as a preferred supplier. BT has announced it expects to conclude contractual agreements with named preferred suppliers over the summer.

The BT 21CN bid response has involved one of the largest bid teams Cisco has ever assembled. The team comprised members from every functional area of the company through to Cisco Chief Executive Officer, John Chambers, and brings together over 500 person years of knowledge and expertise in BT's business and networks.

"Cisco Systems is extremely pleased to extend our longstanding and successful relationship with BT to create the 21st Century Network, which is set to become one of the most advanced telecommunications networks in the world," said Cisco CEO John Chambers.

The growing pace of migration to converged IP networks is reflected throughout the telecommunications industry with major customer deployments of Cisco IP NGN solutions in every region, but the scale and speed of the BT 21CN transformation is set to lead all other Next Generation Network projects announced to date.

"BT and Cisco Systems have a shared vision for a new generation of telecommunications networks in which consumers will drive demand for new and innovative video, voice and data services," said Mike Volpi, senior vice president of Cisco's routing business.

Cisco's IP NGN vision has been closely aligned with the BT 21CN roadmap to achieve IP network convergence. Cisco's proposal positions the Cisco Carrier Routing System-1 family and IOS XR Operating System as one of the key enablers of BT's network transformation.

Robert Lloyd, President of Operations in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, Cisco Systems said: "BT's 21CN will become the catalyst for innovation in the UK, and its impact will be felt globally through the wide-ranging social and economic benefits that it can help bring - from better public services in government, education and healthcare, to improved global competitiveness for UK businesses.