SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Cisco Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CSCO - News) today announced that Verizon Communications, Inc., one of the world's leading providers of high-growth communications services, will utilize the Cisco 12000 Series Router platform in its national IP VPN network. The Cisco 12000 Series Router will be part of Verizon's expanded network to deliver Layer 3 Internet Protocol/Multiprotocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to Verizon's enterprise customers. With support for multiple classes of service, Cisco's MPLS technology will provide Verizon with an efficient and robust solution for the industry's newest applications driven by IP internetworking such as Transparent LAN Services and Voice-over-IP (VoIP).

The Cisco 12000 Series platform will be deployed as Verizon's Local Access Transport Area (LATA) core router as well as one of the service edge router platforms for Verizon's Enterprise Advance initiative. The Cisco 12000 Series platform provides service providers like Verizon with a scalable and reliable solution for high-speed core internetworking that supports revenue generating edge services.

Verizon's Enterprise Advance initiative, launched by the company last November, expands Verizon's services in the Enterprise market by connecting existing regional networks across the country via an IP backbone while enhancing core capabilities. These capabilities include packet, optical and transparent LAN services as well as IP services such as VoIP and IP VPNs.

By deploying the Cisco IP Services Engine (ISE) technology, currently available on edge line cards for the Cisco 12000 Series routers, Verizon will be able to offer MPLS-based VPN services for customers with the line-rate performance required for the next evolution of IP networks. These services allow customers "any to any" connectivity, saving Enterprises the expense of migrating all their offices to the same technology platform. Enterprise customers will also be able to launch IP-based business applications and establish quality-of-service (QoS) priorities for traffic within an IP VPN network.

"Cisco is committed to working closely with our service provider customers to help them successfully deploy IP/MPLS technologies in the core and edge of their networks. We listened to our customers and have accordingly invested heavily in developing platforms that are scalable, feature rich and high performance," said Mike Volpi, senior vice president of the Routing Technology Group at Cisco Systems. "Verizon's aggressive approach toward MPLS and IP networking make it a great match for the Cisco 12000 Series routers."

Cisco Systems Inc.

Verizon Communications Inc.