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AT&T, Cisco Collaborate on Enhanced Encryption Solution for MPLS Networks


WEBWIRE

Adds Higher Level of Security to Already Secure MPLS Networks

Bedminster, New Jersey, San Jose, California, December 4, 2006, AT&T and Cisco today reaffirmed their strategic agreement and introduced an enhanced encryption solution for enterprise customers’ MPLS networks.

The solution announced today results from a collaboration by the two companies and allows customers to add a higher level of security to their networks without sacrificing service quality or adding complexity to their overall networking environment.

Today’s announcement is the latest milestone in the two companies’ efforts to offer the most advanced enterprise networking solutions to businesses globally. It follows AT&T’s recent testing of the Cisco TelePresence Meeting solution, a remote communications experience that creates unique, “in person” experiences among people, places and events.

Both companies contributed resources in framing business needs and in providing feedback on the enhanced encryption solution, which uses the Cisco tunnelless virtual private network based on Group Encrypted Transport (GET VPN) technology. Tested in the AT&T Proof-of-Concept Labs, this solution will be available to AT&T customers in the first quarter of ’07.

“MPLS networking has allowed IT departments to converge and simplify their network architecture,” said William Archer, AT&T vice president. “AT&T and Cisco are the first to collaborate on a solution for encrypted, large-;scale, meshed connectivity without compromising a customer’s service level agreement or adding network overhead. In addition to encryption, this solution reduces latency while increasing network efficiency. The result is delivery of a scalable, highly secure networking environment with improved customer experience and satisfaction,” Archer said.

As MPLS networks become more prevalent, business users increasingly ask for enhancements to their service, especially the ability to encrypt data on their already — highly secure MPLS networks. This new technology creates a single, ultra-secure, encrypted connection — known as a trusted group tunnel — over an existing MPLS network, expanding encryption functionality while maintaining existing service level agreements.

The added ability for efficient scaling of encrypted connections that mimic the any-to-any nature of MPLS networks is the next step in the evolution of MPLS networks. Customers can take advantage of this scaling capability without having to build large numbers of point-to-point tunnels.

As a result, companies with global enterprise networks can extend their voice, video and data applications to more users without adding complexity and the increased costs of multiple links. It will further benefit security-conscious enterprises — especially hospitals and health care institutions, financial services companies and government agencies — by providing a more manageable way to implement complex security policies on an MPLS network. Without this capability, customers would need to build a large number of tunnels if they wish to maintain their any-to-any MPLS capability with encryption.

As an upgrade for the Cisco IOS®software on Cisco integrated services routers, Cisco 7301 Routers and Cisco 7200 Series Routers, Cisco Group Encrypted Transport is easily installed and maintained on business networks, giving them greater flexibility in reconfiguring networks and distributing networked applications to more locations using the global reach and security of the AT&T network.

“We are extremely pleased to work with industry-leading, customer-focused providers such as AT&T in the development and deployment of Cisco technologies as the basis of managed services for business customers,” said Dave Frampton, vice president of Cisco Access Technology Group. “AT&T’s enhancement, offering a tunnelless VPN solution based on Cisco Group Encrypted Transport, represents a fundamental change in highly secure, distributed business communications, and offers true value to AT&T’s customers and the broader business community.”

Note: This AT&T release and other news announcements are available as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss.

About Cisco Systems
Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. is one of the world’s largest telecommunications holding companies and is the largest in the United States. Operating globally under the AT&T brand, AT&T companies are recognized as the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications services to business and as leading U.S. providers of high speed DSL Internet, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising services. AT&T Inc. holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which is the No. 1 U.S. wireless services provider with 58.7 million wireless customers. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and AT&T products and services is available at http://www.att.com.

© 2006 AT&T Knowledge Ventures. All rights reserved. AT&T is a registered trademark of AT&T Knowledge Ventures. Subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. provide products and services under the AT&T brand.



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