Cisco to Develop PC-Based Router Adapter Card for Windows NT AdvancedServers
PARIS, Oct. 26, 1993 -- At Interop Europe, Cisco Systems, Inc., andMicrosoft Corporation announced today a strategic marketing agreementdesigned to offer large customers the most comprehensive"desktop-to-enterprise" network computing and communication solution on themarket. As part of Microsoft's Solution Provider program, the two companieswill promote a solution that combines the Windows NT Advanced Server witha remote access, integrated PC-based router card from Cisco.
The agreement is targeted at providing internetworking solutions forthree distinct customer environments: those with multiprotocolinternetworking requirements; SNA internetworking requirements; and hybridenvironments with both multiprotocol and SNA internetworking requirements.
Internetworking solutions resulting from the agreement will allowcustomers to extend the scope of their line-of-business client-serverapplications into branch offices through a broad program of protocolsupport, WAN connectivity, value-added policy-based services, security andnetwork management.
The agreement has five components:
- Synergizing current Cisco and Microsoft products among jointcustomers through the development of internetworking architecturalguidelines.
- Development of a remote-access Cisco router for the Windows NTenvironment. The remote router will offer full-function internetworkingfrom a modular ISA- or Microchannel-based adapter card configured andmanaged from the Windows NT Advanced Server environment. It will provideWAN connectivity from Token Ring or Ethernet environments to the enterprisenetwork via two E1/T1 serial interfaces and an internal ISDN Basic Rateinterface. All Cisco's industry-leading WAN functionality will besupported, including Frame Relay, X.25, SMDS and ISDN, as well as all Ciscoswitched services, bandwidth management, prioritization and compressionfeatures. The router product will offer three protocol support options:
- all protocols, bridging technologies and SNA connectivity features;
- all bridging technologies, SNA connectivity features and routingsupport for IP, IPX and AppleTalk;
- routing support for IP, all bridgingtechnologies, and support for selected SNA connectivity features.
Availablein the first half of 1994, the Cisco PC-based router card will be soldthrough third-party solution providers worldwide.
- Close cooperation on the interoperability of the two companies'respective network management products -- CiscoWorks and Microsoft's Hermes-- to allow customers to update, monitor and administer theirinternetworking and their desktops from an integrated management platform.
- Establishment of a joint training program in which the companies willprovide extensive cross-training of sales engineers and support staffs.
- Cisco participation in Microsoft's Solution Provider and SystemManagement Partners' programs.
"Together, Microsoft and Cisco offer a premier platform for deployingvertical applications across a network and for moving line-of-businesssystems to the branch office to support decision making," said Paul Maritz,senior vice president of Systems for Microsoft. "Microsoft servers andCisco networks will offer customers outstanding price/performance value fordistributing applications. Customers can save money by downsizingappropriate applications onto client-server platforms and downsizingmultiple communications links with multiple protocols onto a singleprotocol backbone. And with the backing of two leading companies, customerscan feel safe moving from the traditional IBM mainframe/SNA environments toopen client/server environments.
"For customers who prefer to migrate incrementally, Microsoft SNAServer for Windows NT and Cisco routers are the ideal solution for combinedSNA and TCP/IP networks," Maritz said.
"The partnership of two clear industry leaders like Microsoft and Ciscooffers unprecedented opportunities for our mutual customers," said JohnMorgridge, president and CEO of Cisco. "Cisco is in the business ofproviding the most efficient and reliable value-added networks being builttoday.
"With this new partnership, customers can comfortably combine ourleading technologies to form reliable, well-conceived, `best-of-breed'solutions whatever their situations. As just one example, theMicrosoft/Cisco combination can offer IBM SNA customers an open alternativewith flexible, dependable WAN platforms from Cisco, teamed with robustLAN-based client-server platforms from Microsoft. This agreement representsboth a major element of Cisco's strategy of partnering with industry andtechnology leaders, as well as acknowledgment of our technology as theleading internetworking solution," said Morgridge.
As the foundation of the product offerings, Microsoft Windows NTAdvanced Server 3.1 offers a client/server solution to bringing the entireenterprise to desktop computer users. The product serves as an ideal openplatform for business solutions. It features powerful, 32-bit pre-emptivemultitasking; access to gigabytes of memory and terabytes of storage;built-in networking; and scalability to run on Intel[R], RISC and symmetricmultiprocessing systems.
Microsoft SNA Server for Windows NT combines advanced client-serverarchitecture with the power and productivity of the Windows NT operatingsystem to deliver advanced connectivity between LANs and SNA networks. Theproduct features complete IBM SNA connectivity, comprehensive support fordistributed SNA applications, flexible host connectivity, and intuitivesetup and administration.
Microsoft's network management technology, code-named Hermes, extendsthe Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server to provide centralized managementof customers' diverse desktop computing environments. Scheduled for releasein the first half of 1994, the technology makes it easier to centrallysupport networked PCs by providing hardware and software inventory,software distribution and installation, remote diagnostics and control, andmanagement of networked applications -- on large, diverse, and oftengeographically dispersed networks.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader insoftware for personal computers. The company offers a wide range ofproducts and services for business and personal use, each designed with themission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantageof the full power of personal computing every day.
