MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 17, 1994 -- Cisco Systems has introduced anarray of new products and features designed to increase the flexibility,security and cost effectiveness of its routers in applications calling forremote access to corporate enterprise internetworks.

Early recognition of this emerging market has enabled Cisco to ship40,000 remote-access routers since the introduction of its Cisco 2000remote-access family in June1993. Today'sadditions to Cisco's remote-access router products and features are:

• Cisco2500 remote-access routers that lower the cost of providing access to remote users of corporate internetworks.

• Price/performance enhancements tothe Cisco 4000 modular router, of interest to IBM SNA network administrators, managers of distributed campus backbones and telephone service providers.

• A freesoftware upgrade that lets Cisco routers take advantage of the ubiquitous public telephone network for backup network connectivity or low-cost dial-on-demand routing.

• Securityenhancements to protect corporate information as remote-access demands increase.

• Data compression to reduce wide-area network costs.

"As the only router vendor whose customers have built very largeenterprise networks containing 1,000 or more routers, Cisco was positionedearly on to foresee and address the burgeoning demand for those networks toextend their reach to remote users," said David Gudmundson, Cisco productmanager. "Today's announcements adds to Cisco's suite of remote-accessproducts by reducing costs and increasing security and scalability."