OREANDA-NEWS. May 25, 2009. Kazakhtelecom (Astana), a company listed on Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), provided KASE with a press release, reported the press-centre of KASE:

Chairman of Board of Kazakhtelecom Askar Zhumagaliev and Vice-president of Cisco in Eastern Europe Kaan Terzioglu signed an Agreement on intentions. The parties expressed readiness to continue mutual cooperation in a number of innovative projects.

In particular, the agreement specifies arrangement of regular virtual meetings with Cisco leading experts in real time using Kazakhtelecom-based rooms for video conferences Cisco TelePresence. Besides, Kazakhtelecom is expected to cooperate with Cisco Capital, a unit of Cisco Systems, providing innovative solutions on project financing.

Kazakhtelecom and Cisco have been in cooperation for 10 years now, when the Kazakh operator implemented a large project in construction of national telecommunications network using Cisco Frame Relay technology. The project was noted by Cisco in 1999 as a high-tech and innovative solution in magistral line construction.

In 2007 Kazakhtelecom launched the largest in CIS project to modernize magistral line IP/MPLS using Cisco technology. This project allowed the Company to increase line transport capacity by 10 times - from 1 Gbit/s to 10 Gbit/s. The main service, provided by the network, included broadband access to the Internet, organization of virtual private networks based on IP protocol, and transfer of different multimedia traffic, including telephony, video, business-applications etc. Besides, Internet access speed was increased two times with no change in pay.

Construction of high capacity multiservice data transfer network (IP/MPLS) allowed implementation of another large project - launch of videoconference rooms in Astana, Almaty and Moscow. Cisco TelePresence is a complex for real time remote video meetings with personal presence effect. The technology unites transfer of high quality audio and video signal among with interactive elements. Currently Сisco TelePresence allows Kazakhtelecom to hold video conferences in the following direction: Astana - Almaty, Astana - Moscow and Almaty - Moscow.

After signing the Agreement Kazakhtelecom's chairman Askar Zhumagaliev said "the agreement prescribes Cisco Capital to provide credit for up to USD55 m. The agreement gives an opportunity to implement in 2009 planned projects on network enlargement, which is necessary for further services development, mainly, Internet broadband access.

Cisco's vice-president Kaan Terzioglu, said: "Kazakhtelecom a Kazakhstan corporate leader is as well applying new technologies. Cisco is pleased with long-term cooperation with Kazakhtelecom, helping develop broadband communications networks, allowing for equal access to internet services. Cisco is contributing much into social and economical development of Kazakhstan".