Cisco Systems has introduced four new wide area networking products as part of its strategy to enable the next generation of carrier-class, IP-based services through the seamless integration of IP and ATM technologies. Cisco`s new integrated edge and core products offer service providers considerable savings in network infrastructure costs by combining separate networking capabilities onto one network. Cisco`s four new platforms are specifically designed to integrate ATM and advanced IP capabilities today and to enable the high-growth services of the future, such as IP VPNs and voice services. Cisco`s IP+ATM solution brings the richness of Cisco IOS software to carrier-class ATM networks, ensuring end-to-end IP QoS, scalability, security, and management without adding proprietary protocols internal to the IP+ATM network. By implementing Cisco`s IP+ATM solutions, service providers will be able to provide seamless interoperability with enterprise networks currently running Cisco IOS software. Cisco integrates its IP and ATM technologies through Tag Switching, the industry`s first end-to-end implementation of the emerging Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) standard. Tag Switching, contributed by Cisco to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) tightly integrates IP and ATM technologies. This combines the privacy characteristics and quality of service (QoS) benefits of ATM with the universal connectivity of IP. New Platforms for Building the New World of Communications Services The new switches, the Cisco BPX(r) 8650 IP+ATM switch; the Cisco MGX 8800 wide-area edge switch; the Cisco BPX 8680 universal service node; and the Cisco TGX 8750 optical core switch use Cisco IOS software to ensure end-to-end network interoperability within carrier-class ATM networks. With the introduction of these platforms, Cisco is providing the industry`s widest range of building blocks for service providers to construct integrated IP+ATM network infrastructures. Cisco`s IP+ATM integrated edge products - the BPX 8650 IP+ATM switch, the MGX 8800 wide-area edge switch and the BPX 8680 universal service node - meet service providers` customers at the edge of the WAN, where they link seamlessly to enterprise networking environments. BPX 8650 IP+ATM switch Already shipping is the BPX 8650 IP+ATM switch, a product that incorporates MPLS for dynamic IP switching over the ATM fabric. Using Cisco`s upgrade package, service providers can upgrade their existing installed base of BPX 8600 series switches to incorporate MPLS for IP+ATM capabilities. MGX 8800 wide-area edge switch The Cisco MGX 8800 wide-area edge switch represents the next generation in high-capacity edge switches and is designed to meet the needs of small to large points of presence (PoPs) or central offices (COs), where service providers need to scale to 1,400 DS1 interfaces. Featuring the industry`s widest breadth of service interfaces, the MGX 8800 enables service providers to deliver a complete portfolio of differentiated service offerings while scaling from DS0 to STM-16/OC-48c speeds. The MGX 8800 platform provides the lowest-cost edge infrastructure for volume services such as Frame Relay by reducing the entry cost and surpassing the port densities of competitive switches. BPX 8680 Universal Service node The BPX 8680 Universal Service node builds upon MGX technology to bring the latest Cisco IOS software functionality to large centralised PoPs. Using a multiservice architecture, the BPX 8680 universal service node provides unprecedented port scalability in a single node that delivers services for sites up to 16,000 DS1 ports. Cisco TGX 8750 optical core switch To meet the needs of today`s WAN core, service providers require a standards-based IP+ATM solution that provides resilient edge-to-edge connectivity. With the emergence of dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) technologies, service providers also require the next generation of core switches to connect to an all-optical core using an STM-16/OC-48c interface. The Cisco TGX 8750 optical core switch meets these requirements, with integrated MPLS/Tag Switching, and is the first product in its class to offer hierarchical Private Network-Network Interface (PNNI), offering massive scalability for ATM networks. Multivendor IP+ATM Power Tools for Service Management Cisco is also announcing a comprehensive portfolio of new service management tools which provide robust management capabilities for the planning, provisioning, operating and billing of IP+ATM revenue-generating services. These tools offer a cost-effective migration path for service providers who operate a multivendor network and want to integrate the new Cisco switches while protecting investment in existing systems. With an integrated IP+ATM infrastructure, service providers can continue to deliver high-revenue services such as Frame Relay, SNA, leased-line and Internet dial access. Integrated IP+ATM infrastructures also protect service providers` current network investment by enabling advanced IP services such as virtual private networks (VPNs), managed intranet and extranet solutions, voice over IP (VoIP), intranet content hosting and electronic commerce applications. "Cisco`s service provider customers require the next-generation of carrier-class, edge and core ATM switches to provide integrated IP capabilities," said Phil Dean, Cisco`s European Market Development Manager. "With this announcement, Cisco is delivering the only IP+ATM solution that seamlessly integrates with the vast majority of enterprise networks. "
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