Multi Protocol Label Switching-Based VPN Solutions Offer Unparalleled Management and Enhanced Scalability for New World Services
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- May 17, 1999 -- Cisco Systems Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced new intranet and extranet Virtual Private Network (VPN) solutions with the availability of Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) and Cisco Service Management System (CSM) for VPNs. These solutions allow service providers to offer secure, highly scalable, VPN services that deliver IP QoS and end-to-end service level agreements (SLAs). Having the ability to offer flexible IP VPN services without complex PVC provisioning or layer 3 tunneling management reduces service providers' operating costs and enables the delivery of low-cost managed VPN services to their customers.
MPLS-based intranet and extranet VPN solutions are supported across Cisco's family of multiservice ATM switches and routers which embed advanced quality-of-service (QoS) and traffic engineering features found in industry leading Cisco IOS. software. Cisco also supports a wide range of access options including dial, Digital Subscriber Line (xDSL), cable, frame relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and private line. Cisco's two new solutions also include enhanced management and provisioning functionality through CSM, a suite of network and service management applications for reducing the cost associated with maintaining the network. CSM allows service providers to rapidly provision and manage Intranet and Extranet VPNs seamlessly, promoting significant operational support and cost-savings.
Cisco's new Intranet and Extranet VPN solutions include CSM, a modular suite of network and service management applications that allow service providers to plan, provision, manage and bill for IP VPN services according to a customer's service-level agreement. CSM complements Cisco's MPLS-based VPN solutions by simplifying the provisioning, service assurance and billing processes, thereby reducing the cost of deploying and operating VPN services. CSM enables service providers to speed time-to-revenue for new IP VPN services.
Market researchers, Frost and Sullivan, predict that the virtual private networking market in the US will reach approximately $18 billion by 2004. "At this rapid rate of growth, service providers are faced with increased demand for highly scalable VPN solutions." said Larry Lang, vice president of Service Provider Marketing at Cisco. "Cisco's MPLS based VPN solutions and Cisco Service Management allow service providers to develop differentiated New World services 3/4 creating a compelling competitive advantage in the New World of telecommunications."
To accommodate this anticipated growth, Cisco's MPLS architecture scales to support tens of thousands of VPNs. These solutions allow service providers to invest in a VPN solution with the confidence of knowing that as customer demands increase, their network investment will scale to support this new growth.
"Cisco continues to deliver world-class technology solutions for moving businesses to the next level of advanced communications," said Mark Lefebvre, vice president of data services engineering for IXC Communications. "Cisco's intranet and extranet VPN capabilities will facilitate improved performance and quality of service, enabling service providers such as IXC to empower their customers to implement exciting new business applications."
Cisco intranet and extranet VPN MPLS-based architecture allows service providers to offer customers dedicated access to remote offices, customers, partners, or suppliers over a robust Cisco router or ATM switching environment. It also complements Cisco's other intranet and extranet VPN solutions which include Internet Protocol security (IPSec), generic routing encapsulation, ATM and frame relay architectures. Cisco's new MPLS based VPN solution also connects remote access VPN users by integrating with Cisco's Layer 2 tunneling protocol (L2TP) technologies to enable service providers to offer a comprehensive and robust VPN service portfolio to business customers.
"VPNs are the foundation for customized, low-cost differentiated services that service providers can rapidly deploy to meet end user needs," said Michael Arellano, founder and president of Degas Communications Group, Inc. "The major benefits offered by Cisco's scalable VPN to service providers are increased competitiveness, reduced costs, and new revenue opportunities."
Availability
Cisco Intranet and Extranet VPN solutions will be available with Cisco IOS software in July 1999. CSM for IP VPNs will be available in August, 1999.
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