Cbeyond Communications Driving Rapid Growth of Managed IP Communications Solution among Small Businesses

More than 20,000 small and medium businesses find clear benefits in Cbeyond’s cost-effective, converged data and voice offering delivered over Cisco IP NGN.

COMPTEL SPRING 2006 - SAN DIEGO, Calif., March 20, 2006 - Cisco Systems today announced that Cbeyond Communications, a member of the Cisco Powered Network Program, is driving rapid growth of converged voice and data services in the small-and-medium business (SMB) market. Cbeyond’s offering has been extensively embraced by a number of specific business segments, including healthcare, real estate and legal services, and is currently available in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston and Los Angeles. More than 20,000 Cbeyond SMB customers currently subscribe to the service and customer retention exceeds 99 percent per month.
"Cisco was extremely supportive of our concept to build a stable, converged platform that would enable us to bring productivity-enhancing communication services to the underserved small business market" said Brooks Robinson, chief marketing officer for Cbeyond. "Working with Cisco, we’ve developed powerful, robust communications solutions that have traditionally been out of reach for small businesses"

The offering includes high quality local and long distance service, high-speed Internet access, mobile voice and data, and a variety of business applications like virtual private networks (VPNs), e-mail, data backup, file sharing and more. With an integrated communications package from a single provider, Cbeyond specifically serves the needs of small business customers with four to 200 employees.

Cbeyond’s offering is based on the Cisco Internet Protocol Next Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture, and features Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches, Cisco IAD 2400 Series Integrated Access Devices, Cisco 10008 Routers, Cisco 7200 Series Routers, Cisco AS5850 Universal Gateways and the Cisco BTS 10200 Softswitches. Cbeyond was supported by Cisco Lifecycle Services, which provided leading best practices, engineering resources and a proven approach to create Cbeyond’s converged services.

"Innovative, customer-focused providers such as Cbeyond are driving the next wave of converged voice and data services for small and medium-sized businesses, giving their customers the full range of advanced capabilities formerly only available to larger enterprises" said Kirt Jorgenson, director of the Cisco Powered Network Program at Cisco. "We are eager to continue building on our long relationship with Cbeyond to ensure its success and that of its customers well into the future"

Cbeyond has been a Cisco Powered Network Program member since 2001. Its participation in the program demonstrates to individuals and businesses its ability to provide industry-leading services that are based on Cisco technologies. Cbeyond also benefits from its Cisco Powered Network designation through joint marketing and technology sharing activities with Cisco.

About Cbeyond

Cbeyond (NASDAQ: CBEY) is an Atlanta-based managed services provider that delivers integrated packages of voice, mobile and broadband services to small businesses in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston and Los Angeles. Cbeyond offers core communications services like local and long-distance voice, mobile and broadband Internet access along with enhanced applications, including voicemail, email, Web hosting, data backup, file-sharing, VPN and more. Cbeyond manages these services over a private, 100 percent Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) facilities-based network. For more information on Cbeyond, visit www.cbeyond.net.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

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