| Over 1000 Techies to attend Cisco Networkers 07 Johannesburg, 23 April 2007 – Cisco’s annual Networkers Conference is taking place at Sun City from 23 to 25 March 2007. The conference will see nearly 1000 Cisco customers and business partners converging on Sun City, making it the largest Networkers conference to date. Delegates will gain insight into how the network is serving as a platform which enables business transformation for enterprises and telecommunications operators and service delivery for the public sector. For any IT professional who would like to experience and improve their understanding of networks, Cisco Networkers is ideal. Some of Cisco’s leading engineers and developers on the latest technologies and solutions will offer intensive and comprehensive technical training. One of the highlights of this year’s Networkers will be the keynote address delivered by Marthin de Beer, senior vice president for Cisco’s emerging market technology group. Originally from South Africa, Marthin is part of a global group of experts that have been tasked with bringing to market what Cisco calls emerging technologies. Cisco has ear-marked these new solutions to drive 1-billion dollars worth of revenue within 5-7 years. In his keynote, Marthin will be focusing on the emergence of Web 2.0 and what this market shift means for South African businesses. Typically defined as the next frontier in the evolution of the Internet, Web 2.0 is best characterised by the emergence of user generated content and social networking. These developments are redefining the way consumers interact with each other, organisations and technology itself. It is under de Beer’s leadership that Cisco recently introduced the Telepresence solution, which redefined the experience of face-to-face communications over internet protocol (IP). Another first for the South African Networkers, will be the inaugural Cisco Networkers Innovation Awards. Judges will be looking for entrants who embrace new technology and clearly demonstrate the benefits of well-managed deployment. The winners of the awards will be announced at the event and the categories include the best in: Corporate IP Network, Data Centre Project, Unified Communications and Mobility and Wireless. There will also be an award for the network that has the best impact on society at large. This award is aimed at recognising the impact that networking has had on global communities either through improved public or private sector services, or through greater access to initiatives such as online education. Organisations have already begun a shift away from the ‘siloed’ approach of creating stand-alone applications and systems to support different functions. By using the network as a platform, modern businesses are enabling themselves to respond to a world where information just-in-time, changes to information in real-time. But more important than speed, is that the right information is delivered to the right person at the right time. Today, the network is a cost-effective platform that businesses can use to integrate complex interactions for increased value and growth, gaining a true competitive advantage in an always-on, real-time world. For detailed information on Networkers 2007: 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. Cisco equipment in Europe is supplied by Cisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc Cisco, Cisco Systems, and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information. |