Cisco announces fully integrated internetworking solution for legacy systems and client server networks

Business Wire, Dec 12, 1995

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 1995--Cisco Systems Inc., the leading global supplier of internetworking solutions, today introduced a suite of integrated multiprotocol routers designed for branch banking and retail office environments that are integrating legacy systems with client/server networks.

These new routers support local-area network (LAN) and legacy protocols, including synchronous (SDLC and BSC transport) and asynchronous (polled asynchronous) serial communications over multiple serial interfaces and services. With this legacy and LAN support, users are now able to consolidate both legacy and LAN traffic over a Frame Relay or ISDN network. These options provide users with a complete routing solution, eliminating the need for multiple single-function devices or more costly high-end routers.

Cisco also announced today a family of mission-specific Frame Relay access products - based on the 2500 series hardware - that feature a built-in migration path via the Cisco Internetwork Operating System (Cisco IOS) software. (See the press release entitled "Cisco Announces Frame Relay Access Products That Lead Industry in Providing Legacy Protocol Support.")

"With our new 2500 series routers and our Frame Relay access offerings, users in the branch banking and retail office arenas can pick and choose among the most cost-effective, end-to-end access solutions available, " said Kevin Kennedy, division director in the company's Access Business Unit. "And Cisco's broad support for IBM internetworking, including RFC1490, DLSw , APPN routing, serial tunneling, and conversion, protects customers' investments as they migrate towards LAN-based client/server networks."

Cisco's new routers -- the Cisco 2520, 2521, 2522 and 2523 -- are targeted at branch banking and retail offices. These sites typically have a large installation of legacy serial equipment remotely connected over dedicated low-speed links. For cost, performance and network management reasons, these customers are installing local-area networks (LANs) with multiprotocol client/server applications and upgrading wide-area connections to Frame Relay or other high-speed, wide-area network (WAN) services, including ISDN. With Cisco's new 2500 series routers, which are based on the Cisco IOS software, everything is connected into a single access device, reducing line, equipment, and management costs.

Cisco's new routers, which complement Cisco's high-performance 4000 series, also provide an excellent low-cost WAN concentration solution, where many remote sites need to be internetworked over low-speed WAN links. With up to 11 wide-area connections and support for the full array of the Cisco IOS software protocols and features -- including Frame Relay, ISDN, X.25, leased line and asynchronous communications -- organizations can cost-effectively link multiple sites when high WAN bandwidth isn't critical or available.

Each model features Cisco's industry-leading remote access server functionality in addition to providing branch office LAN-to-LAN internetworking capability, all in a single device. With the built-in ISDN BRI interface, ISDN BRI can be used as the primary or back-up WAN. These routers complement Cisco's 2509 access server product, which features asynchronous dial-up access.

The Cisco 2520/2522 each include an Ethernet interface plus two high-speed serial ports and two or eight low-speed asynchronous/synchronous ports. The Cisco 2521/2523 include a Token Ring interface plus two high-speed serial ports and two or eight low-speed asynchronous/synchronous ports.

The routers provide a number of bandwidth optimization features, including 4:1 data compression over leased lines, packet-switched and circuit-switched WAN services at speeds of up to 128 Kbps, and dial-on demand routing (DDR) over ISDN and switched 56K lines. For IBM environments, the routers support proxy explorer and NetBIOS name caching to avoid wasting WAN bandwidth on overhead traffic. Snapshot routing and SPX/IPX spoofing keep router and server state data on both sides of the WAN connection to reduce additional traffic.

The new Cisco routers also ensure application availability. Priority output queuing, for instance, enables network administration to prioritize traffic by protocol, message size, physical port and SNA device. Custom queuing offers the same level of prioritization granularity and ensures that mission-critical traffic receives a guaranteed minimum amount of bandwidth.

All models are available worldwide in the first quarter of 1996. The routers are priced as follows ($US): Cisco 2520, $1,995; Cisco 2521, $2,495; Cisco 2522, $3,495; and Cisco 2523, $3,995. Each router supports nine Cisco IOS software feature set combinations.

Cisco Systems, Inc., (NASDAQ:CSCO) is the leading global supplier of enterprise networks, including routers, LAN and ATM switches, dial-up access servers, and network management software. These products, integrated by the Cisco IOS software, link geographically dispersed LANs, WANs and IBM networks.