HANOVER, Germany -- Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) and Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) are jointly demonstrating their industry-leading products for Layer 2 Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and Virtual Private Network (VPN) services March 18-24 at Cisco's booth, Hall 13, C58. The demonstration shows the ability of Cisco's 12000 Series routers to offer ATM- and Ethernet-over-MPLS services in a scalable fashion, using Agilent's RouterTester 900 to simulate end-user VPN connections.

Layer 2 MPLS VPN technology provides a flexible and scalable solution for offering Layer 2 services such as ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), Frame Relay and Ethernet. By building on an MPLS core infrastructure, service providers can cut costs through convergence of disparate networks and allowing seamless migration of existing services.

The new Internet Service Engine (ISE) linecards (4-port Gigabit Ethernet, 4-port STM1/4 ATM) deliver a comprehensive range of features at a line rate that enables the Cisco 12000 Series to accommodate various Layer 2 and Layer 3 edge applications, such as Layer 2 MPLS VPN, without compromising performance. ISE linecards are available for all Cisco 12000 Series routers, including the new Cisco 12800 Series used in the demonstration, which scale the platform via field upgrade to 40 Gb/s/slot. This demonstrates the proven investment protection of the Cisco 12000 Series.

Agilent's Layer 2 MPLS VPN test software for RouterTester 900 supports Ethernet, ATM and Frame Relay services, offering unprecedented scalability testing of provider edge routers. This allows network equipment manufacturers (NEMs) and service providers to test the ability of these devices, which transparently manage tens of thousands of customer connections into an MPLS core network.

"Layer 2 MPLS VPNs are one of the most important new services for converged IP networks," said Dave Bass, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Data Networks Division. "Thorough device and system testing before deployment is mandatory because of high customer expectations for operational availability and service transparency. Agilent's RouterTester 900 provides the leading test solution for NEMs and service providers deploying MPLS VPN services."

"The strategic differentiator for service providers will be how easily they allow their customers to integrate the full portfolio of services," said Dr. Bernd Heinrichs, director of Business Development at Cisco. "Layer 2 MPLS VPNs will be an important technology to deliver these services via a converged network infrastructure."

Agilent Technologies Inc.

Cisco Systems Inc.