MENLO PARK, Calif., June 21, 1993 -- Cisco Systems today unveiled a new line of remote access routers, including two newmodels in its Cisco 3000 router series, and has reduced the pricesof the four existing models.

The new Cisco 3000 models include: One with an Ethernetport, two serial ports and an ISDN BRI (Basic Rate Interface) andthe other with a token ring port, two serial ports and an ISDNBRI.

The three original members of the Cisco 3000 series wereintroduced in August 1992 as the first low-end routers to supportFlash memory, which permits fast, reliable software updating andmaintenance. A fourth model, added in October 1992, was the firstmultiprotocol router to incorporate ISDN capability.

All Cisco 3000 models offer Cisco's full complement ofprotocol support, including more than 15 common network protocols;optional bridging (for X.25, frame relay and SMDS); protocoltranslation and IBM internetworking features; full routingprotocol support; and SNMP-based network management.

Simultaneous Support for LAN and SNA Systems

David Gudmundson, Cisco product manager, said, "The new Cisco3000 models provide more ways to improve applications availabilityand cost-effectiveness. For example, the additional second serialport can be used for dial backup when a primary transmission lineis congested or down. It also allows simultaneous support of LANand SDLC link consolidation; this means a much smoother transitionfor the many banking, retail and other institutions that are nowmigrating their applications from SNA-based systems to LAN-basedclient-server environments.

"In addition, the new ISDN BRI capability offers a cost-effective, high-speed connection to corporate internetworks forusers at remote sites--an alternative to leased or dialup lines,"he said.

Cisco 2000, 3000 Combine to Replace IGS Models

In conjunction with the new Cisco 3000 models, the pricereductions and the introduction of the company's new low-end Cisco2000 access router platform (see accompanying release), Cisco willphase out its earlier IGS series, which includes models roughlyequivalent to the Cisco 3000 units but with no Flash memory andlimited main memory expansion.

"On the four existing Cisco 3000 models, we have been able torealize sufficient cost savings to bring prices down to IGSlevels," Gudmundson said. "For small remote sites where priceremains the primary purchase criterion, the Cisco 2000, our newplatform with tailored protocol support, creates a new, evenlower, entry price point."

Based on a 20-MHz MC68030 processor, the Cisco 3000 seriesoffers IP forwarding performance of 5,500 packets per second. Itstoken ring interface uses Cisco's implementation of IBM source-route bridging for nonroutable protocols (SNA, NetBIOS), with SRBpackets encapsulated in IP packets. The serial ports support DCEor DTE equipment, full- or half-duplex operation, and transmissionspeeds up to four kilobits per second.

The ISDN BRI provides total dial-up bandwidth of 144 Kbps astwo 64-Kbps data (B) channels and one 16-Kbps signaling (D)channel. ISDN, or Integrated Services Digital Network, is aninternational standard for the transmission of digitized voice,data, text, graphics, music and video over existing telephonewiring. Connection to an ISDN network is performed using CCITTQ.921 and Q.931 signaling specifications; once the circuit isestablished, all Cisco-supported protocols can be transmitted.

Pricing/Availability

The two new Cisco 3000 series models will be available in thethird quarter of 1993. Price reductions on the existing models areeffective immediately. U.S. list prices follow:

Cisco 3000 Series -- New Models  Model 3104: 1 Ethernet/2 serial/1 ISDN BRI            $5,795  Model 3204: 1 Token Ring/2 serial/1 ISDN BRI          $6,995Cisco 3000 Series -- Existing Models  Model 3101: 2 Ethernet               Was $5,495   Now $3,995  Model 3102: 1 Ethernet/2 serial      Was $5,795   Now $4,295  Model 3103: 1 Token Ring/2 serial    Was $6,995   Now $5,495  Model 3104: 1 Ethernet/1 ISDN BRI    Was $6,995   Now $5,295

ISDN capability requires country-specific certification. At first customer shipment, the Cisco 3000 with ISDN will becertified in France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and theUnited States. In the future, Cisco ISDN routers will becertified in additional European and Asian countries.

Cisco's Remote Access Plans for the Future

Cisco will continue to increase network applicationsavailability and to decrease the total cost of owning a networkwith future remote access capabilities.

Cisco will extend Appletalk and Novell IPX networks toincrease applications availability for mobile and telecommutingusers. And, because asynchronous technology is an integral partof network extension, Cisco will integrate asynchronous servicesthroughout its remote access router family.

Cisco will continue to decrease the cost of network ownershipby greatly increasing the number of remote sites that can connectto a single Cisco 7000 serial interface. Development plansinclude a Multichannel Interface Processor that provideschannelized T1/E1 and Integrated ISDN PRI for the Cisco 7000.

Cisco will also extend plug and play remote access byenhancing AutoInstall over wide area packet-switched services.

To further decrease the cost of network ownership, Cisco iscommitted to implementing data compression technology across thehigh end and remote access product lines, which will reduce widearea access costs by allowing more efficient utilization of widearea links.

Cisco Systems, Inc., is the leading worldwide supplier ofhigh-performance, multimedia and multiprotocol internetworkingproducts, including routers, bridges, communication servers androuter management software. Cisco technology is used to buildenterprise-wide networks linking an unlimited number ofgeographically dispersed LANs, WANs and IBM SNA networks. In theUnited States, Cisco is traded over the counter under the NASDAQsymbol CSCO.

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Posted: Jun 24 15:29:42 1993