SAN JOSE, Calif., December 12, 1995 -- Cisco Systems, Inc., the leadingglobal supplier of internetworking solutions, today solidified itsleadership position in the evolving Frame Relay access market byintroducing a suite of Frame Relay access products.This family offers the most sophisticated protocol support forinternetworking legacy and client/server environments over Frame Relay.
Unlike competing devices, Cisco's Frame Relay access products offer users abuilt-in migration path through the Cisco Internetwork Operating System(Cisco IOS(tm)) software, enabling users to easily upgrade to the fullfunctionality of a Cisco 2500series router. No dedicated Frame RelayAccess Device (FRAD) device currently on the market offers this level ofscalability, investment protection or built-in migration path towardsclient/server computing.
In addition, Cisco's new Frame Relay access products are managed by thesame
"Since our earliest days as a co-founder of the Frame Relay Forum, Ciscohas played an important role in advancing the implementation of Frame Relaytechnology," said Kevin Kennedy, division director in the company's AccessBusiness Unit. "Today, Cisco has more Frame Relay access ports installedthan any other manufacturer. Plus, Cisco has invested tens of millions ofdollars in developing its IBM software feature set, offering moresophisticated support of IBM protocols than any vendor. With today'sintroduction, Cisco now offers solutions to satisfy every price point andfeature requirement, enabling companies to easily migrate from legacysystems to client/server-based LANs -- without sacrificing service,manageability or support."
Based on Cisco's award-winning 2500 series of multiprotocol routers,Cisco's new Frame Relay access products are available in serial-only(CFRAD) and serial and local-area network access (LAN FRAD) models. Rangingfrom a single, low-speed serial access device to a model that combinesmultiple serial access ports with LAN connectivity, this new product familyprovides branch banking and remote office environments that currently don'trequire the full suite of protocols and features of a Cisco 2500 seriesmultiprotocol router with an ideal Frame Relay access alternative.
Cisco also announced today a new series of integrated, multiprotocolrouters, based on the 2500 series, to meet the next level of routing needsfor branch banking and remote office environments. (See press releaseentitled,
Meeting Branch Banking's Unique Needs
One of the first environments to fully adopt Frame Relay is branch banking.A remote branch office, for instance, may operate an automatic tellermachine (ATM) using a serial bisynchronous connection. Additional tellerconsoles could be connected to an SDLC serial concentrator, and an alarmdevice could be connected asynchronously. To meet these needs, branchbanks don't always require the extensive LAN and wide-area network (WAN)support provided by a 2500 series multiprotocol router. Instead, theyrequire multiple serial connections to be concentrated to a Frame Relaybackbone, which is the new environment optimized for Cisco's CFRAD and LANFRAD products. This profile could be repeated at hundreds of locations.Each Cisco access product is preconfigured with software that combinesFrame Relay WAN support with a specific set of protocols, enabling users toselect the CFRAD or LAN FRAD product that features the protocols they need.For instance, they can purchase a CFRAD for IBM and asynchronous legacyaccess or a LAN FRAD for IP and IPX routing. As needs require, users canupgrade these products to 2500 series routers to gain greaterfunctionality.
Cisco's CFRAD Products
Cisco's new CFRAD products are serial-only Frame Relay access devices. The2520CF and 2521CF access products come with three serial access ports,while the 2522CF and 2523CF are equipped with nine serial access ports anda single high-speed Frame Relay access port.Cisco's LAN FRAD Products
Cisco's new LAN FRAD models provide both serial access and LAN access tothe Frame Relay WAN. Cisco's 2501LF and 2502LF access products come with asingle low-speed serial access port and Cisco's 2520LF and 2521LF accessproducts feature three serial access ports. Cisco's 2522LF and 2523LFaccess products are equipped with nine serial access ports.Availability
All Cisco CFRAD and LAN FRAD models are available worldwide starting in thefirst quarter of 1996. Each CFRAD and LAN FRAD model comes bundled withCisco 2500 series hardware and Cisco CFRAD or LAN FRAD software.About Cisco
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is the leading global supplier ofenterprise networks, includingrouters, LAN and ATM switches, dial-upaccess servers, and network management software. These products, integratedby theCisco IOS is a trademark and Cisco, Cisco Systems and the Cisco logo areregistered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. All other trademarks,registered or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners.
