Cisco Capital Launches Financing Program for Cisco Unified Communications Deployments in Asia Pacific

Zero Percent Progress Payments Program Provides Customers with 120-Day Deferral and
Helps Channel Partners Manage Cash Flow

Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA, Sept. 29, 2008 - Cisco CapitalTM, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco, today announced the launch of its Zero Percent Progress Payments Program for the Cisco® Unified Communications system in the Asia Pacific region. Designed to improve the affordability of unified communications solutions for Cisco partners and customers, the program is available until July 25, 2009.

Under the financing program, customers can defer payments for up to 120 days, without interest, during their Cisco Unified Communications system deployment, and channel partners receive progress payments from Cisco Capital when installation milestones are reached. The financing program is designed to help customers when they are required to make deposits prior to full deployment of unified communications projects, and to help Cisco channel partners manage their cash flow on projects with long implementation times.
“The unified communications market is experiencing tremendous growth in Asia Pacific as organizations have begun to understand the flexibility and power of the technology. In addition to the host of collaboration-solution enhancements that Cisco announced today, we have also taken this step to make it easier for partners to deploy, and for customers to acquire, Cisco Unified Communications solutions,” said Benny Lee, Cisco’s managing director of Unified Communications in Asia Pacific.

“Cisco Capital recognizes that Cisco Unified Communications deployments can have cash flow impacts for both partners and customers when upfront payments, or multiple payments, are required to be made to Cisco during implementation,” said Rajiv Menon, director of Cisco Capital in Asia Pacific. “With this program, both partners and customers are able to better manage expectations based on a structured deployment and payment schedule. The Zero Percent Progress Payments Program has been available in the United States and Canada for more than two years and is one of Cisco Capital’s most successful channel partner enablement tools.”

Cisco channel partners must hold a Cisco Unified Communications Specialization to qualify for this program. The minimum transaction size is US$50,000. This program is not available in Vietnam, Indonesia or the Philippines.