Cisco Calls for 2007 Growing With Technology Award Nominations of SMBs Using Network for Strategic Business Advantage

Prizes Valued at up to $250,000 to Be Awarded to SMBs and Growing Organizations Demonstrating Network Innovation and Creativity


SAN JOSE, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 1, 2007 -- With its continued strong commitment to help SMBs grow their business with networking technology, Cisco® (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced it is accepting entries for the Eighth Annual Cisco Growing with Technology Awards contest. The competition recognizes small and midsize organizations that use networking technology in creative ways to promote products and services, deliver superior value to customers, improve internal business operations, conduct online transactions and provide a broader geographical reach of services.

Cisco's annual contest is open to for-profit, nonprofit and public sector organizations within the United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding the province of Quebec). To be eligible to win, organizations must employ no more than 999 employees.

A panel of judges from a cross-section of industry leaders will review contest applications and select the winners. They will be looking for organizations that have demonstrated how networking technology has changed the way it communicates, collaborates and does business to effectively address business challenges and expanded services to help drive growth and profitability.

Contestants in the Cisco Growing with Technology Awards 2007 contest vie for recognition and prizes in the following five categories: Sales and Marketing, Customer Relationship, Operational Excellence, Public Sector, and Nonprofit. Judges will select one grand-prize winner, two runners-up, and one honorable mention in each category.

Each grand-prize winner receives up to $25,000 worth of Cisco networking equipment. Each first runner-up receives up to $15,000 worth of Cisco networking equipment. Second runners-up receive up to $10,000 worth of Cisco networking equipment. Honorable mentions will be recognized during the awards ceremony. The grand-prize winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions will be announced and honored at an awards ceremony in October 2007.

Members of this year's Cisco Growing with Technology Award panel of judges include:

--  Ken Bast, vice president of networking, Ingram Micro
--  Ray Boggs, vice president of small and medium business research, IDC
--  Lisa Buksbaum, CEO and founder, Soaringwords (2006 Growing with
    Technology Award winner)
--  Mika Krammer, director of Windows Client Mobility Marketing, Microsoft
    Corp.
--  Deb Mielke, president and managing director, Treillage Network
    Strategies
--  David Morgan, president, D.W. Morgan (2003 Growing with Technology
    Award winner)
--  Elspeth Jane Murray, assistant professor, Queen's University (Canada)
--  Joni Podolsky, director of community programs, Entrepreneurs
    Foundation
--  Joe Diodati, senior director of small and midsize business marketing,
    Cisco
    
Applications Accepted Now

Entries for the Cisco Growing with Technology Awards 2007 program are being accepted online. The deadline to submit applications is June 22. For more information on the awards, directions on how to enter, and the complete contest rules, visit www.cisco.com/go/tellusyourstory.

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.

Contestant Note: No purchase or payment is required to enter or win. Internet access is required. Void where prohibited. Subject to all federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations. The Cisco Growing with Technology Awards 2007 Program is sponsored by Cisco Systems, Inc., 170 W. Tasman Drive, San Jose, CA 95134 and is open only to small to medium-sized legitimate and lawful organizations (including for-profit businesses and educational institutions; public sector, governmental and non-profit educational institutions; and non-profit organizations and charities) in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia or Canada, excluding the province of Quebec with a total of 999 or fewer full-time and/or part-time employees (which shall include overall employees of a parent, affiliate, and/or subsidiary or related company, entity, association, franchisor, or franchisee whether or not located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia or Canada). Additional eligibility requirements apply. See http://www.cisco.com/go/technology_awards for complete Official Rules including prize details and entry forms.

Copyright © 2007, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco, the Cisco logo and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document or Web site 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.

For direct RSS Feeds of all Cisco news, please visit "News@Cisco" at the following link:

http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/podcasts/rss.html

Contact Information: Press Relations: Ray Hadulco Cisco Systems, Inc. 408 853-6054 rayh@cisco.com Analyst Relations: Timberly Morrison Cisco Systems, Inc. 408 853-3167 timmorri@cisco.com Investor Relations: Liz Lemon Cisco Systems, Inc. 408 527-8452 lemon@cisco.com