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To: TideGlider who wrote (49128)	6/22/1998 11:39:00 AM
From: gbh	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 61433

ALLTEL Deploys ATM Switches for Advanced Networking Services (CSCO win) LITTLE ROCK, Ark., June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- ALLTEL (NYSE: AT - news) announced today that it has deployed a series of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switches to enhance service delivery for customers on its extensive fiber network. ALLTEL selected Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO - news) to provide the ATM switches, which are capable of supporting data, voice and multimedia services simultaneously from one network point to another. ''Cisco's ATM solutions strengthen ALLTEL's fiber network, allowing it to transport information more quickly and efficiently,'' said Mike Hanley, vice president of wide area network (WAN) engineering for ALLTEL. ''It also provides us with the system reliability and bandwidth management needed for delivery of today's business services and positions us for further networking advances which will be crucial for addressing customer needs into Year 2000 and beyond.'' The network supports ALLTEL's extensive wireless, wireline and information services businesses, and provides value-added services to its financial and residential lending divisions. The ATM switches are capable of collecting customer information such as billing records from ALLTEL central offices plus banking and accounting data from its financial and residential mortgage clients and transporting them across the network to their appropriate data processing centers. The reliability of the ATM switches is enhanced by their interconnectivity through the ALLTEL high-capacity Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) ring technology which ensures that alternate transmission paths are available to transport customer information in the event of a cable outage. ALLTEL used Cisco BPX 8600 series switches to build the core of an ATM backbone that delivers Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Frame Relay and ATM transport services to customers throughout the United States. The Cisco BPX 8600 series switch is a carrier-class ATM device that is designed for increased bandwidth management and IP+ATM integration. ''These switches were specifically engineered to merge Internet protocol and ATM technologies,'' said Joe Golden, vice president of marketing of Cisco's multiservice switching business unit. ''ALLTEL is harvesting the full capabilities of these switches and is preparing itself for the advantages of a unified network architecture, where it will benefit from the latest advantages in bandwidth management and network performance.'' ALLTEL is a customer-focused, information technology company that provides wireline and wireless communications and information services.