Cisco Systems Inc and MCI Communications Corp are already working on a project to provide a premium level Internet service, due to be implemented later in the year. Cisco has provided MCI with its IOS Internetworking Operating System software and NetFlow switching technology so it can go ahead and develop a tiered Internet service. The technology will be deployed as a software upgrade within MCI’s installed base of Cisco 7500 routers. Cisco’s vice president of service provider marketing, Jon Shantz said that the growth of the Internet and the corporate intranet has resulted in a demand for higher bandwidth and performance, and he believes that the new technology will enable its customers to get gain a higher level of on-line access. An MCI spokesperson said that the developments are a result of a change in customer needs and demands, and that a one size fits all attitude is no longer being appropriate. The two companies have been working together on the project for some time and MCI hopes to start offering the service by the summer. A Cisco spokesperson said that the premium service is going to be specifically aimed at people who rely on having access to data all the time, Cisco doesn’t believe that it will set a precident for general Internet users. MCI has yet to decide on a price for the service.
