SAN JOSE, Calif., May 9, 1994 -- A new interface processor that enablesa single router to connect up to 240 remote locations -- significantlyreducing the cost of adding remote sites -- has been introduced by CiscoSystems for its high-end Cisco 7000 router family.
Available immediately, the MultiChannel Interface Processor (MIP)provides lower-cost, higher-density remote access capability formultiprotocol routing. Cisco customers will realize savings through theMIP's ability to simultaneously support routing for all network protocolsas well as WAN services -- leased line, Frame Relay and X.25 today, andSMDS and ISDN in the future.
The MIP can configure up to 24 distinct channels within a single T1(1.544-megabits-per-second) port; the board comes with one or two T1 ports.The Cisco 7000 can support a maximum density of 240 channels, while theCisco 7010 supports a maximum of 144 channels.
With the MIP, a configuration that once required 24 serial interfaces,24 serial cables and 24 DSU/CSUs (data service units/channel service units)at a cost of $86,500 can be replaced by using one channelized T1 port onthe MIP and one CSU for about $20,600.
Sunil Dhar, Cisco product manager, said, "The combination of savingsand flexibility that the MIP provides will enable our customers to expandthe scope of their corporate internetworks by tying remote sites in acost-effective and easy-to-use manner. The price of a channelized T1service is significantly lower than the sum total of individual 64 Kbpschannel costs, making this solution easy to cost-justify.
Wells Fargo Bank is currently using the MIP in a beta-test project."The ability to manage and grow the functional requirements of remote sitesthrough software rather than hardware changes is a key determining factorin our choice of a channelized T1 solution," said Eric Hughes, Wells Fargomanager of network management, development and testing. "Cost is anothercritical element in our decision. We expect to see as much as a 60 to 70percent savings in transmission and equipment costs by deploying a MIPsolution to our remote locations."
The MultiChannel Interface Processor is priced at $19,000 with one T1port or $29,000 with two T1 ports (U.S. list).
Future releases of the MIP will support channelized E1 for connectionto 2.048 Mbps services, as well as Integrated Services Digital Network(ISDN) Primary Rate Interface (PRI). ISDN PRI will be provided as asoftware upgrade to the Cisco 7000 systems, enabling customers to migratecurrent channelized networks to ISDN PRI services whenever it becomes costefficient.
Cisco Systems, Inc., is the leading worldwide supplier ofhigh-performance, multimedia and multiprotocol internetworking products,including routers, bridges, workgroup systems for 10-Mbps/100-Mbps datatransmission, ATM switches, communications servers, and router managementsoftware. Cisco technology is used to build enterprise-wide networkslinking an unlimited number of geographically dispersed LANs, WANs and IBMSNA networks. In the United States, Cisco is traded over the counter underthe NASDAQ symbol CSCO.
Posted: May 11 12:57:11 1994
