FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 05, 2009

TIA Cisco Sponsor Small Business Symposium Focused on Creative Financing

Leading Investors, Venture Capitalists, and Cisco Executives Provide Insight on Practical Solutions to Help Attendees Grow Their Business and Generate Deals

Arlington, Va. – As tech companies face the daunting reality of tightened credit markets, obtaining venture capital and financing is becoming tougher, requiring greater creativity. Facing these challenges head-on, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), in association with iHollywood Forum, launched a new series of free Small Business Symposiums yesterday, tapping the resources of its membership in an effort to help small- to mid-sized tech companies.

The Winter Symposium was co-sponsored and hosted by Cisco Systems, Inc., at its headquarters in San Jose, Calif. There, a standing-room only crowd of representatives from dozens of companies – mostly startups and small businesses – heard from leading investors, venture capitalists, and Cisco executives with practical solutions on how to grow their business and generate deals.

Presentation topics included:

• Raising financing and finding new sources of capital 
• Cutting costs without sacrificing productivity 
• Making sound management decisions 
• Increasing revenue and reducing marketing costs 
• Networking with peers and investors to share ideas

"With the impact of the global economic downturn affecting every sector of the already hypercompetitive information and communications technology industry, it is TIA's imperative duty to do all we can to help stimulate business opportunities," said TIA President Grant Seiffert. "We know small- and mid-sized companies are having trouble getting the investment capital and financing they need to survive and thrive. These companies are the engines that drive the larger economy, creating jobs while they're at it, and we want to do everything we can to support them in this time of need."

"This event was a huge success and we can't thank Cisco enough for co-sponsoring and hosting it," Seiffert added.

The featured speaker was Alan S. Cohen, VP, Enterprise and Mid-Market Solutions, Cisco Systems, Inc.

A panel discussion on "Raising Capital in Tough Economic Times for Small-Mid Size Tech Businesses," featured: Ajay Chopra, General Partner, Trinity Ventures; Eric Zimits, Managing Director, Granite Ventures; Michel Wendell, General Partner, Nexit Ventures. The discussion was moderated by VentureBeat Writer Dean Takahashi.

For more information, visit TIA's Winter Symposium Web page at tiaonline.org.

About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. With roots dating back to 1924, TIA enhances the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members' products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment. TIA co-owns the SUPERCOMM^® tradeshow and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.

TIA's Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC, ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, ArrayComm, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel Communications, Inc., Cam Communications, Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, OneChip Photonics Inc., Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., and Verari Systems. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, Orca Systems and Telcordia Technologies.

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