Le Meridien Bangkok Delivers 'Creative Chic' Over Cisco Connected Hotel Platform

BANGKOK, THAILAND, Jul 14 (MARKET WIRE) --
(NASDAQ: CSCO) Le Meridien Bangkok, a new arrival in the five-star luxury
hotel market in Bangkok, is delivering its distinctive 'creative chic'
style over a technology platform based on the Cisco(R) Connected Hotel
solution, featuring Cisco Unified Communications. 'Creative chic' is
defined by the hotel as delivering on the five-star luxuries expected by
the modern guest, including technology conveniences.

Le Meridien Bangkok will be the first hotel in the country to outfit each
of its 282 luxury rooms and suites with a color touch-screen Cisco Unified
IP Phone, giving every guest a single, easy-to-use portal to customized
five-star services.

"Tailoring the guest environment is a significant element of customer
retention. Le Meridien aims to inspire our guests with our exterior and
interior signature design, luxurious guestrooms and stylish meeting rooms,
and all the conveniences that busy travelers look for, including a spa and
a Technogym-equipped fitness centre. At the heart of this 'creative chic'
lifestyle, however, is the technology, from the color touch-screen IP
phones in the room to the pervasive wireless Internet access to the robust
network infrastructure that keeps everything working together seamlessly.
We view the technology infrastructure as an enablement for us to deliver
the superior service expected by our guests and to efficiently support our
staff and management," said Jee Hoong Tan, director of sales and marketing
at Le Meridien Hotel.

Le Meridien Bangkok's technology infrastructure is built on the Cisco
Connected Hotel solution, which comprises Cisco Catalyst(R) switches,
Cisco Aironet(R) wireless access points, Cisco security solutions and
Cisco Unified Communications, including the Cisco 7970 and 7921 Unified IP
Phones. These are integrated with call accounting, hospitality voicemail,
and XML applications on the Cisco 7970 Unified IP Phone and the hotel's
property management system. This fully integrated communications platform
was designed and deployed by NexEntel, a Cisco Premier Certified Partner
systems integrator.

The technology that Le Meridien Bangkok guests see the most is the color
touch-screen Cisco 7970 Unified IP Phone in their rooms. Once the guests
check in, the IP phone in the room is activated and customized for them,
providing not just telephone services but one-touch access to a range of
hotel services, including temperature controls and the Do Not Disturb
sign. Guests can also opt for a wireless IP phone so that they can remain
accessible on their direct line anywhere in the hotel.

"Cisco's networking and communications solutions are enabling hotels
throughout the world to transform the way they deliver services to their
guests. While the front-end experience of the guests is important, equally
so is the ability for the Cisco Connected Hotel solution to optimize the
hotel's operations. Cisco is proud to have been able to work so closely
with Le Meridien Bangkok to deliver on its commitment of customer
excellence," said Vatsun Thirapatarapong, director of commercial
operations, Cisco Thailand.

About Le Meridien

The Le Meridien brand, currently represented by approximately 120
properties in 52 countries, was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide in November 2005. With close to 90 percent of its properties
located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Le Meridien
provides a strong international complement to Starwood's primarily North
American holdings. Plans call for dynamic expansion of Le Meridien-branded
hotels and resorts within the next five years, concentrating in the U.S.,
Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, including destinations such as India,
Thailand and China.

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms
how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco
can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to
http://newsroom.cisco.com. Cisco products are supplied in Thailand by
Cisco Systems International, BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco
Systems, Inc.

Cisco, the Cisco logo, Cisco Systems, Aironet and Catalyst are registered
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Media Relations:
William Oei
Cisco
+65-63175555
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Cisco
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