SAN JOSE, Calif. -- July 26, 1999 -- Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced delivery of five integrated data, voice and video products designed to enable customers to migrate data networks to a single integrated data, voice and video network. Cisco's new products offer end-to-end multiservice capabilities, unprecedented scalability and a graceful migration path to converged voice and data network solutions. With the addition of these new products, which extend Cisco's portfolio of voice solutions, customers can deploy packet telephony today and benefit from reduced costs, improved network efficiency, and the ability to introduce new integrated data, voice, and video business applications.
Cisco multiservice products and features announced today include:
- The Digital T1/E1 High-Capacity Voice Port Adapter for the Cisco 7200 and 7500 Series Routers
- The Digital T1/E1 Packet Voice Trunk Network Modules for the Cisco 2600 and 3600 Multiservice Platforms
- The new Cisco 3660 Multiservice Platform
- T1/E1 Multiflex Voice/WAN Interface Card (Multiflex VWIC) for the Cisco 2600 and 3600 Multiservice Platforms
- The Cisco Multimedia Conference Manager (MCM) H.323 Gatekeeper on the Cisco 2600 and Cisco 7200 Series
"Cisco is leading the inevitable convergence of voice and data networking, and with this announcement delivers the broadest and most robust enterprise solutions on the market," said Christopher Nicoll, director at Current Analysis. "As the worldwide data networking leader, Cisco equipment is already deployed ubiquitously in corporate wide-area networked (WAN) infrastructures; now customers can easily upgrade to accommodate voice traffic, making Cisco the leader and long-term partner in this emerging growth market."
A recent report from Synergy Research Group determined that Cisco has over 75 percent marketshare in sales of VoIP Routers. "According to the findings in our Q1 1999 VoIP equipment market report, Cisco maintained its number one position in the VoIP Equipment market for both the Enterprise and Service Provider markets," said Jeremy Duke, President, Synergy Research Group. "Cisco is successfully evolving its traditional product lines into next generation multiservice platforms, strengthening its leadership position in the emerging multiservice and packet telephony markets."
With the delivery of Cisco's new voice-data products and features, customers can select from a wide range of options to scale multiservice requirements, migrate to packetized voice with the simple addition of a module or adapter, and better manage voice and video scalability across a wide range of Cisco platforms.
Enabling Multiservice Customers to Scale
Cisco's new Digital T1/E1 voice port adapter and network module products allow customers to add higher-density voice to existing equipment (Cisco 2600/3600 Multiservice Platforms and Cisco 7200/7500 Series Routers); or with new equipment (Cisco 3660 Multiservice Platform), to satisfy regional office, branch office and large-scale central-site requirements. These products provide a range of density options to accommodate customer needs: from 2 to 48 simultaneous voice calls on the 2600 Series; 2 to 288 simultaneous voice calls on the 3600 Series (including the 3660); and 48 to 720 simultaneous voice calls on the Cisco 7200/7500 Series.Providing Data Networking Customers a Migration Path to Packetized Voice
Cisco's new voice solutions are modular, allowing customers to add new services or capacity as needs evolve, providing maximum investment protection and simplifying the deployment of advanced network services. Customers who have already invested in Cisco's multiservice platforms can now add voice support by simply adding a module or an adapter, rather than replacing equipment. The new 3660 platform also protects customer investment with six slots that allow expansion room for future migration.In addition, the Digital T1/E1 High-Capacity Voice Port Adapter for the Cisco 7200 and 7500 Series Routers, Digital T1/E1 Voice Trunk Network Modules for the Cisco 2600 and 3600 Multiservice Platforms, and the T1/E1 Multiflex Voice/WAN Interface Card for the Cisco 2600 and 3600, all provide Multiservice Interchange (MIX) functionality. MIX, previously available only on the Cisco 7200, provides flexibility for support of mixed environments, including TDM voice, Voice-over-IP (VoIP) and Voice-over-Frame Relay (VoFR). This facilitates deployment of end-to-end multiservice environments, and enables gradual migration from legacy equipment to packetized voice solutions.
Scaling Voice and Video
As VoIP and MCM H.323 voice/video deployments are increasing, Cisco has expanded the range of solutions to help manage voice and video scalability. The MCM H.323 Gatekeeper, currently available on the 2500, 3600, and 3810 is now being extended to the Cisco 2600 and 7200 series. The MCM H.323 Gatekeeper is implemented as a feature set in Cisco IOS software, and provides management and quality of service (QoS) for voice and video. It ensures that voice and videoconferencing connections receive priority over data traffic, and provides security for conferencing and VoIP traffic. Running on the Cisco 7200, performance and scale of the MCM H.323 Gatekeeper is greatly increased-- from 600 VoIP calls on a Cisco 2600 multiservice access platform to over 3000 calls on the Cisco 7200 series."These products deliver upon the Cisco Five-Phase Voice Strategy, which was introduced to the marketplace over two years ago, and provide a strong set of incentives for Cisco's large installed base to continue its migration to an integrated, multiservice network," said Peter Alexander, Cisco vice president of enterprise marketing. "Customers who have deployed multiservice networking capabilities are telling us that the savings derived from toll bypass give them the ability to expand their data networks."
Availability
The Cisco products announced today will be orderable and shipping in August 1999*.For more details on today's product announcements, see additional press releases, "Cisco Announces New Multiservice Capabilities on Cisco 7200 Series Platform," and "Cisco Delivers New High-Density 3660 Multiservice Access Platform to Extend VoIP Offerings."
Cisco Support Solutions
The Cisco products announced today are supported by the full range of Cisco support solutions. These support solutions, designed to put customers quickly in touch with the resources best suited to help them, provide onsite, Web, and telephone-based services. Cisco support solutions include maintenance services, implementation and installation services, advanced technical consulting services, and professional services. The Cisco support network consists of the Technical Assistance Center (TAC), development engineers, field engineers, parts warehouses, delivery services, and service partners.Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is theworldwide leader in networking for the Internet.Cisco, Cisco Systems and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.
