March 28, 2007
NETMARKS INC.
NETMARKS First in Japan to Gain Cisco's Highest Level of Unified
Communications Accreditation
- Accreditation based on strongest overall track record in Japan, including
implementation of over 120,000 Cisco IP phones -
NETMARKS INC. (Moto-Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Atsushi Ohashi; "NETMARKS") has attained "Master UCS" (Master Unified Communications Specialization) in March 2007, the highest level of accreditation awarded by Cisco Systems Inc. (San Jose, California, U.S.A.; NASDAQ: CSCO; "Cisco") to its Unified Communications partners. NETMARKS is the first company in Japan and only the second worldwide to achieve this level of recognition.
"Unified Communications" aims to enhance productivity through efficient communication by the integration of a range of communication tools centering on IP telephony systems and including telephone, e-mail, and video and Web conferencing.
Master UCS is the highest level of accreditation awarded to partners offering Cisco Unified Communications and certifies that the recipient is a channel partner with a high level of technical skill in all aspects of the provision of Cisco voice solutions, from proposal to design and building and maintenance support after implementation.
The criteria for accreditation are based on the inspection criteria for the international standard ISO 20000. Candidates are required to have a strong internal infrastructure (assessment and verification equipment, etc.) to ensure that a high level of quality is maintained, and inspections focus not only on technical skills but on the overall process. CCIE Voice* accreditation is also one of the conditions for Master UCS accreditation, and NETMARKS is the only Cisco partner company in Japan to count recipients of the CCIE Voice accreditation among its employees.
NETMARKS is a pioneer of Cisco IP telephony technology in Japan and in 2001 was the first solutions provider in Japan to build a large-scale IP telephony system using Cisco IP phones. In 2003, NETMARKS was the first in Japan to gain Cisco IP Telephony Revised Specialization accreditation as a provider of the Cisco IP Telephony Solution (now "Cisco Unified Communications"). Since then, the company has remained a market leader, with one of the strongest track records in Japan, having implemented more than 120,000 Cisco IP phones to date.
"We are very pleased that Netmarks has made the investment in becoming a Master Unified Communications Partner. Our success in Unified Communications is due to partners lie Netmarks which allow us to deliver a successful solution to our mutual customers." said Alex Thurber, Managing Director of Japan Channels for Cisco Systems Inc..
While maintaining its strong partnership with Cisco, NETMARKS will expand its sales of Cisco Unified Communications, which promotes efficient communication within organizations, offering it in the form of solutions with still higher added value, for instance, in conjunction with security systems.
CCIE: Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert
CCIE represents the highest level of accreditation among the technical programs that Cisco certifies at individual level. CCIE accreditation is divided into 5 types: "Routing & Switching", "Security", "Service Provider", "Storage Networking", and "Voice".
CCIE Voice
Among the technical programs that Cisco certifies at individual level, CCIE Voice certifies that the recipient has attained the highest level of technical knowledge and expertise in the implementation and maintenance of Unified Communications voice and video solutions.
*All brand names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
*Prices and start dates for shipment (services) may change without notice.
[Press contact]
Market Communication Department NETMARKS INC.
Tel: +81-3-3423-5782 E-Mail: press@netmarks.co.jp
