Cisco Named as ACCC's Preferred Vendor and Partner to Meet Canada's Labour Force Needs in the IT Sector

The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) joins forces with Cisco Systems to encourage integrated, IP-based technology and increase enrollment in IT programs

Ottawa, May 16, 2006 - The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) today announced Cisco Systems Canada as the preferred vendor to provide integrated networking technology advancement to over 150 Association members. The alliance also brings the two organizations together to work on increasing student enrollment in technology programs, keeping college/institute faculty at the cutting edge in the IT field, creating a Cisco technology scholarship program for women and supporting the Cisco Networking Academy curriculum as a nationally-accepted program.

Through the alliance, Cisco will enable ACCC’s member colleges and institutes of technology to incorporate converged networks that carry voice, video and data simultaneously. The Internet Protocol based network will improve the communications vehicles used between colleges and institutes of technology across the country more efficiently and cost-effectively and allow them to reach more students through Internet-based programs.

“ACCC is pleased that Cisco has joined the Association's select group of Corporate Alliance Partners. The calibre of Cisco technology, its Networking Academy Program and the inclusion of regional scholarships for women are viewed as important and significant value-added services to our large network of colleges and institutes of technology," said Gerald Brown, president, ACCC.

This collaboration will allow the Cisco Networking Academy curriculum to be adopted by an even greater number of post-secondary institutions across Canada. The curriculum is currently taught at 122 colleges and universities granting industry recognized certifications. ACCC and Cisco will jointly promote a nationally accepted post-secondary curriculum in the networking technology field to its college and institute members and work to have more universities recognize the Academy curriculum completed at colleges and institutes for advanced standing or credit.

“Cisco is committed to changing the way we work, live, learn and play,” said Anne Miller, Canadian education marketing manager, Cisco Systems Canada. “Our alliance with ACCC helps to promote innovation in the education sector and most importantly, benefits the students directly by encouraging them to learn the universal skills that are crucial in our evolving technology landscape.”

To that end and to contribute to increasing student interest and enrollment in this field, the alliance is also launching a Cisco scholarship program that consists of three regional awards to women entering their second year of a telecommunications or networking technology program in an ACCC-member institution. Faculty members of ACCC institutions will also gain access to Cisco’s technical webinars to help keep them at the cutting edge of technology and be able to act as even better guides to their knowledgeable learners.

These measures were recommended at the two National IT HR Forums which the Software HR Council, ACCC and its recently-created National Council of Information Technology Deans (NCITD) held to improve employer-college/institute collaboration on the major Canadian challenge of increasing enrollments in IT and electrical engineering programs across the country to meet rising demands for new IT professionals.

The Chair of the NCITD and Executive Dean at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Morris Uremovich, stated that “Cisco’s commitment to ACCC and its member colleges and institutes to help increase enrollment in informatics and networking programs and keep college and institute faculty up to date in this rapidly-changing field are very welcome and will hopefully be emulated by other Canadian corporations.”

Cisco and ACCC have committed to these initiatives that will support increasing the uptake of colleges/institutes teaching the Cisco Networking Academy program, increasing enrolment in IT and science and technology programs with a particular focus on increasing the participation of women and providing college and institute staff and faculty web-based educational tools to keep abreast of the rapidly changing technology sector.

About ACCC
Created in 1972, the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) is the national and international voice of 150 colleges and institutes. With an Ottawa-based Secretariat, ACCC interacts with federal departments and agencies on the members' behalf and links college and institute capabilities to national industries. As another part of its mandate, ACCC organizes conferences and workshops to facilitate college and institute networking and participation in national and international activities such as sector studies, awards programs and linkages. For more information, visit www.accc.ca.

About Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco Systems Canada Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc., has offices across Canada dedicated to customer support, sales and service. In addition, Cisco has a significant research and development centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Information on Cisco can be found at www.cisco.com/ca. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com/canada/.

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For more information, please contact:

Lorna Malcolmson
Manager, Communications and Information Services
Association of Canadian Community Colleges
(613) 746-2222 ext. 3123

Anne Miller
Education Marketing Manager
Cisco Systems Canada Co.
(416) 306-7126

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