MENLO PARK, Calif., Aug. 25, 1992 -- Cisco Systems today announced that British Telecom (BT) is using Cisco multi-protocol routers to construct a UK-wide data communicationsinternetwork that BT expects to complete by the end of theyear.
BT has already installed over 100 Cisco routers tointegrate its corporate management information and businesssystems as well as to provide access to the networkadministration computers used for controlling the publictelephone network. BT expects that the new Cisco-basedinternetwork will enable the company to reduce network costsand improve network management and performance. The use ofCisco's high-performance routers allows BT to link amultiplicity of computer systems, which were previouslyunable to communicate.
Further cost savings and improved efficiency haveresulted from integrating all of BT's corporate informationsystems to provide access to host systems regardless oflocation. This allows BT to improve resource management by 2reducing system and application duplication. Another benefitof the Cisco internetwork is its ability to expand to meetfuture requirements.
"Cisco has enabled BT to greatly enhance its existingdepartmental local area networks with connectivity to asingle, nationwide network capable of sharing informationaround the country quickly and efficiently and enabling us toreduce network management costs," said Martin Harrow, networkconsultant for BT's computing requirements group. "Thistechnology takes BT to the leading edge of internetworking --it is a good example of how to implement an open network,using a single platform that supports the essential industrystandard communications protocols and a wide range of LAN andWAN interfaces."
The internetwork, which comprises both AGS+ and CGSCisco routers, integrates 50 major user LANs and computercenters across the UK, running DEC, IBM and Unixapplications. The AGS+ routers, used for creating thebackbone data utility to connect to large corporate networks,create eight switching centers. These are linked to over 100Cisco CGS routers, designed to service smaller locations,such as district sales and service offices, located acrossthe country.
The internetwork will be used to route TCP/IPfrom the growing number of Unix hosts to a geographically widespreaduser population; support OSI routing forfile transfer applications; route DECnet traffic;and offer thepotential to integrate SNA traffic from both SDLC networks and from newToken Ring LANs.
The routers will be managed by four workstations runningCisco's NetCentral network management software located at twomanagement centers. Currently the routers are connected ondedicated telecommunication circuits; however, BT plans touse Frame Relay technology in the future.
3BT expects to complete the Cisco router internetwork bythe end of 1992 when it will provide services to over 50,000BT staff.
Cisco Systems, Inc., is the leading worldwide supplierof high-performance, multimedia and multiprotocolinternetworking products, including routers, bridges,communication servers and network management software. Ciscotechnology can be used to build enterprise-wide networkslinking an unlimited number of geographically dispersed LANs,WANs, and IBM internetworks. Cisco is publicly traded in theUnited States over-the-counter under the NASDAQ symbol CSCO.
Posted: Sep 8 15:54:37 1992
