Cisco Systems Names Rocket Software Inc. Runner-up in Cisco Growing with Technology Award Ceremony

Newton, Massachusetts—October 28, 2003—Rocket Software was named a RUNNER-UP in the Operational Excellence of the Cisco Growing with Technology Awards2003. Winners were announced during a ceremony at the Westin St. Francis Hotel yesterday.

Rocket deployed Cisco network technology and IP telephony solutions to build a global, secure, integrated voice and data network that enhanced collaboration between geographically distributed teams of software developers while reducing overall telecommunications costs. These operational improvements enabled Rocket to build more products for more OEM partners better, faster, and cheaper than the competition, resulting in consistent growth despite a challenging economic climate.

The Cisco Growing with Technology Awards program is designed to recognize small and medium-sized businesses that demonstrate how networking technology solutions can effectively address business challenges and drive growth and profitability. The winners of the program serve as role models and best practices for other businesses that want to use technology to fuel growth and compete more effectively. A panel of 10 judges selected 15 winners in five categories from more than 450 applications.

“We are pleased and honored to receive this award, a recognition of our ability to harness network technology to take our game to a higher level and increase the value we deliver to our customers.” according to Troy Heindel, Rocket’s Chief Information Officer.

The panel of judges is composed of a diverse, cross-section of small and medium business representatives. Members include: Josh Hyatt, Executive Editor, FSB: Fortune Small Business Magazine; Mika Krammer, Research Vice President, Gartner Group; Ray Boggs, Vice President of Small/Medium Business Research, IDC; Sean Burke, Director of Network Operations, inChord Communications; Dan Levin, Vice President and General Manager, Intuit; Elspeth Jane Murray, Assistant Professor, Queen’s University (Canada); Sam Steinhardt, Executive Director of Center for Innovations in Learning at Stanford University; Mark Quinn, District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration; Rich Riley, Vice President and General Manager, Yahoo! Small Business; and Joe Diodati, Senior Director of Commercial Marketing, Cisco Systems.

“Selecting winners for the Cisco Growing with Technology Award was a challenging process for our judging panel because we received so many quality applications from companies who have dramatically improved their business through the use of technology,” said Joe Diodati, director of market development/field marketing for Cisco’s Worldwide Commercial Market Segment, and judge for the Cisco Growing with Technology Awards. “Rocket Software was selected because their company stood out as a company that used networking technology to create sustainable, competitive differentiation, while improving operational efficiencies and effectiveness, resulting in increased revenues and higher profitability.”