PRESS RELEASE

University of Waterloo and Cisco Collaborate to Drive Innovative Energy Solutions

Collaboration Includes Creation of Cisco Research Chair to Further Smart Grid Research

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TORONTO and WATERLOO, ON--(Marketwire – November 1, 2012) - The University of Waterloo and Cisco today announced an agreement to establish a Cisco Systems Research Chair in Smart Grid, which will promote, support, and lead research, development and innovation within the use of technologies and solutions for smart power grids.

“Waterloo is committed to excellence in research in the fields of engineering, environment, science and technology,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of Waterloo. “This collaboration with Cisco will help the university continue its research excellence in these areas and build innovative solutions within the area of energy systems so that we may address some of the challenges facing us today.”

Cisco is providing $1 million over the next five years to establish the Cisco Chair in Smart Grid. The chair will focus research on the full integration of information science and technology concepts for power grid in order to enhance its security, reliability and effective performance of key components such as storage and renewable resources. This research will help define the next generation electricity grid, or ‘future grid’, in terms of concepts, techniques and technologies and their capabilities to drive collaboration, productivity and efficiency in the energy sector in Canada.

“Cisco is proud to work with Waterloo to further technology innovation and help define the next generation electricity grid,” said Cisco Canada president Nitin Kawale. “Waterloo has a well-earned reputation for excellence in engineering in the province of Ontario, partly due to its commitment to create a critical mass of scholars and research support infrastructure. The university understands the significance of IT research and development for Ontario and Canada as a whole, and it’s a vision Cisco is delighted to participate in.”

The Cisco Chair in Smart Grid is Professor Srinivasan Keshav. He has been a professor of computer science at Waterloo and Canada Research Chair in tetherless computing since 2003. He will engage in activities directed at advanced technologies and strategies that will involve research, development and innovation in the use of transformational business architectures, technologies and solutions for smart grids. The chair will seek to further the university’s strategic goals and long-range vision to position the university as one of the top universities in the world, while working closely with the university’s other chairs to enhance innovation, training and educational activities at the university.

About the University of Waterloo

In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 34,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca.

Supporting Resources:

• University of Waterloo
• Cisco Smart Grid Solutions
• Follow Cisco Canada on Twitter and Facebook

About Cisco

Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Cisco Canada Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco, has offices across Canada dedicated to customer support, sales and service. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com/canada/.

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