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Technology Stocks : Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Paul Reuben who wrote (34167)	4/19/2000 7:27:00 AM
From: Zoltan!	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 77400

SBC, Cisco Set MultiBillion-Dollar Alliance for Small Companies By Lisa Levenson San Antonio, April 19 (Bloomberg) -- SBC Communications Inc., the No. 1 U.S. local-phone company, and Cisco Systems Inc., the top maker of computer-networking equipment, said they'll work together to increase sales to small and medium businesses. The companies have agreed to a non-exclusive, 21-month, multibillion-dollar alliance to share research, development, and sales and marketing of each other's products. The alliance also will deploy Cisco equipment in SBC's so-called ``backbone' network for the first time, said Tom McGrath, president of SBC's DataComm unit. That part of the network carries large volumes of data over long distances. SBC and Cisco are teaming to offer customers a single source for communications equipment and services, such as installation, maintenance and repair of the routers and modems that are becoming increasingly critical to business operations. Thousands of SBC customers already use Cisco equipment, McGrath said. ``The marketplace is clamoring for assistance,' he said in an interview. ``Customers are demanding consultative services,' which the new alliance will offer. SBC has been testing Cisco's gear for the past year, McGrath said. SBC now is the largest value-added distributor of Cisco equipment in the U.S., with 700 Cisco-certified employees, and plans to boost that number to 2,000 by the end of this year. Cisco has been trying to build stronger ties with voice-service providers such as SBC as it moves beyond its regular base in the data-communications market. Using Cisco gear for services ranging from digital subscriber line, which provides fast Internet access over ordinary copper telephone lines, to frame relay, a service used by businesses to speed large files across the country, also will simplify network management and maintenance, McGrath said.... quote.bloomberg.com