NETWORKS

Cisco Systems announced today the selection of Cisco products by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) for the upgrade of ICBC's Shanghai data center, forming a highly centralized national center capable of delivering accurate and timely data, while unifying information management and risk management. Upon completion of the project, real-time data generated from any ICBC service branch, automated teller machine (ATM) and point-of-sale (POS) terminals, as well as every online banking transaction, will be transmitted to the data center in Shanghai. A spokesperson of ICBC commented: "As a major domestic commercial bank that serves millions of customers, not only do we require the world's most advanced and reliable networking equipment, return on investment and network security are also critical. Cisco, as the world-leading provider for networking equipment, has tremendous expertise in the field of data transfer, and has proven itself a reliable resource for ICBC." The spokesperson also cited Cisco's reputation for technological advancement and its consistency in product development as factors in the selection process. "This strategic move will solidify ICBC's place among the leaders of the Chinese banking industry, and allow them to compete in the global market," added Raymond Lau, vice president of Cisco Systems China. "Cisco has taken the strategic collaboration with ICBC very seriously, and is committed to assisting in its information technology reform with the help of our advanced networking technology, vigorous customer service team, and rich experience in serving international financial institutions." This current stage of consolidation is the latest in an ongoing data center development plan dating back to 1995. From 1999 to 2002, ICBC has advanced from a network relying on a relatively decentralized provincial deployment of its data channels to one that was divided between two major data centers in Beijing and Shanghai, linking 21 northern provincial and city branches and 17 southern branches. In 2003, ICBC implemented a data backup process in which the two centers were linked with a 2.5-gigabit-per-second (Gbps)-wide band, enabling each center to back up the other. This year's network upgrade will allow the consolidation and expansion of the Shanghai data center to establish connection with 38 branches scattered over provinces and cities nationwide. The upgrade adopts Cisco's high-end Catalyst(R) switches and a range of Cisco routers, which provide a high-performance foundation for an intelligent, secure infrastructure. Throughout the development process, ICBC has relied mostly on Cisco networking equipment and has built a strong partnership with Cisco based on its long-term cooperation.