Sprint, Cisco ink agreement

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sprint Corp. has announced a deal with Cisco Systems Inc. that will allow the two companies to drive demand for each other's products and work together on new ones.

Len Lauer, president of Sprint's Global Markets Group, said Wednesday that Cisco has agreed to sell a certain level of Sprint's services with the San Jose, Calif.-based company's products, while Sprint will buy a "sizable" amount of Cisco's equipment.

Exact terms of the deal, announced Tuesday, were not disclosed.

The companies said that initially, they will focus on selling Internet protocol -- the way information gets passed across the Internet -- and broadband services for businesses.

Cisco already provides most of the routers Sprint uses on its Internet network.

The companies also have created a technology advisory board, allowing Sprint to develop and build products with Cisco, Lauer said.