PRESS RELEASE AITEC � 23 September 2005

One of Cisco's pioneering engineers, Jim Forster, will be kicking off the African Internet Forum at the seventh annual African Computing & Telecommunications Summit (ACT 2005), to be held in Johannesburg next week at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Sandton over 4-7 October.

Since earning his B.S. degree in computer engineering from Rutgers University in 1976, Jim Forster has spent
29 years in the computer industry, specializing in communication, networks and operating systems. After working for two Silicon Valley startups that failed he joined a "completely different" fledging company with about two dozen employees, Cisco Systems, in 1988. Forster
wrote Cisco's first OSI implementation in 1989 and subsequently managed engineering development or led architecture in various areas of router software, including routing protocols, X.25, Frame Relay, ISDN, ATM and DOCSIS Cable Routers. He is currently working on wireless Internet Access systems for developing countries.
Forster is an author RFC-1613, "X.25 Over TCP", has been awarded several patents, and is a Cisco Systems Distinguished Engineer.

Now bearing the title at Cisco of "Distinguished Engineer", Jim will do a presentation on "The Internet: A common endeavour - How the pieces fit together & who does what."

Jim will join over 80 other ICT experts doing presentations or leading sessions at ACT 2005, which attracts participants from throughout Africa to create the continent's leading computing, communications and Internet convergence event.

The African Internet Forum is held in partnership with Balancing Act of the UK and the African ISP Association and will cover a number of key themes related to Internet development in Africa, including wireless systems, broadband access, fibre backbone projects, cost-effective connectivity and effective management of Internet sources in Africa

For further details contact AITEC: info@aitecafrica.com
South Africa: Carolyn Ackermann Carolyn@aitecafrica.com