SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 6, 1995 -- Cisco Systems has enhanced theIntegrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) capabilities of two of itsplatforms, adding an E1 ISDN Primary RateInterface (PRI) tothe Cisco7000 core router family and an ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI) to itsremote-siterouter/hub.

The company also has added more ISDN-specific software features --including E1 PRI signaling (used throughout the world except North Americanand Japan) and PPP data compression -- to its Cisco InternetworkOperating System (Cisco IOS).

PhilippeBrawerman, president of Cisco Europe, said the new ISDNfunctions expand on the major cross-platform ISDN thrust the company madelastAugust, when ISDNcapability was added to the Cisco 7000 and Cisco4000 series and extended to more members of the Cisco 2500router family.To date, Cisco has installed more than 25,000 ISDN-equipped routers,worldwide.

"Cisco now offers a fully scalable ISDN solution that supports everyenvironment from corporate headquarters, where a single Cisco 7000 canconnect over 200 remote sites, to the smallest branch office, which can belinked to corporate using a stand-alone router, PC-based router orintegrated router/hub," Brawerman said.

He noted that the new E1 PRI capability for the Cisco 7000 "will moveus strongly into the European market, where restrictive tariff structureson leased lines have led to the greatest demand anywhere for cost-effectiveISDN links."

Cisco 7000 Moves into Europe with E1 PRI

ISDN E1 (2.048 Mbps) PRI support is implemented in the Cisco 7000 andCisco 7010 core routers via a new channelized E1 version of theMultiChannel InterfaceProcessor (MIP), a high-density WAN access card.The card, which supports one or two PRIs, operates in conjunction with E1PRI signaling software that has been added to the Cisco IOS. Thiscapability provides a high-density solution to ISDN B-channelconcentration. A Cisco 7000 equipped with four dual-PRI MIP cards, forexample, can connect as many as 240 remote locations to headquarters.

The E1 PRI is fully compatible with Cisco's recently announcedAccessPro PC Card routerwith ISDN BRI, as well as the entireline of Cisco's ISDN products, including the Cisco 2500 and 4000 families.

The channelized E1 MIP, available immediately, is priced at $11,000with one PRI, or $15,000 with two PRIs (U.S. list).

Router/Hub Gains BRI without Sacrificing Synchronous Links

A new version of Cisco's integrated Ethernet router/wiring hub offersan ISDN BRI port in addition to the unit's two synchronous serial ports,one asynchronous port and 14 Ethernet repeated ports. Introduced inSeptember 1994 as a single-box solution for remote access, theintegratedrouter/hub combines local concentration of Ethernet devices (workstations,PCs or servers) with remote connectivity via a variety of WAN port types.

Unlike competitive router/hub devices, Cisco's Model 2516 doesnot sacrifice its synchronous serial ports to gain ISDN functionality. Aremote user whose primary link is ISDN BRI, for example, still can use oneserial port for Frame Relay or T1 backup; the other serial port can runSDLC or bisync to support terminal controllers and other legacy equipment.

Available immediately, the Cisco 2516 integrated router/hub with BRI ispriced from $3,795 to $6,095 (U.S. list), depending on the Cisco IOSfeature set selected.

Data Compression over ISDN Links Added to IOS

The Compression Control Protocol (CCP), a technique for compressingdata over Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) links such as leased lines or ISDN,is now a standard feature of the Cisco IOS.

"Because ISDN is a circuit-switched technology, the user is chargedbased on the time the line is open," Brawerman said. "CCP compressionreduces costs by shortening file-transfer time. It also reduces latency,leading to better real-time response."

The Cisco IOS now supports routing over ISDN for the industry'sbroadest range of protocols: IP, IPX, AppleTalk,transparent bridging, DECnet Phase IV,OSI, Banyan VINESand XNS. Cisco will continue to enhancethe Cisco IOS with a range of features aimed at allowing customers to buildISDN solutions using PPP multilink, X.25 over the D-Channel and Group OType 4 connections (Digital 64S). The current range of hardware productswill also be extended to provide further solutions for the telecommuter andservice provider markets.

Cisco in1992 became the first company to incorporate a nativeISDN interface on a multiprotocol router (the Cisco 3000). Today, ISDNinterfaces are available on the Cisco 7000/7010 core routers (PRI), theCisco 4000/4500 mid-range routers (BRI), the Cisco 2500 remote-accessrouters and integrated router/hubs (BRI) and the AccessPro PC router card(BRI). BRI uses one D channel and two B channels for circuit-switchedcommunication of voice, data and video; PRI uses one D channel and 23(U.S./Japan) or 30 (elsewhere) B channels.

Cisco Systems,Inc. is the leading global supplier of enterprisenetworks, including routers, LAN and ATM switches, dial-up accessserversand network management software. These products, integrated by the CiscoInternetwork Operating System (Cisco IOS) link geographicallydispersedLANs, WANs and IBM networks. Cisco is headquartered in San Jose, Calif.,and in the U.S. is traded under the NASDAQ symbol CSCO.