SAN JOSE, Calif. – Oct. 5, 2010 – Cisco announced today that it is boosting performance, virtualization and application-aware networking with a new network service called Application Velocity. This service, rooted in the Cisco® Integrated Services Routers, is a key element of the company's Borderless Network architecture. It is critical for organizations adopting the latest technology innovations in cloud infrastructure, virtual desktop environments, and wired-wireless integration.

As businesses deliver applications to an exploding number of intelligent mobile devices in a variety of locations, they need to tie together data centers, networks and endpoints into an integrated system that can deliver high-quality multimedia data without sacrificing performance. Application Velocity does exactly that, introducing a unique set of innovations on the Cisco Integrated Services Router Generation 2 platform that enable an optimal user experience with any application, at any time, and on any device. It does so by embedding application-aware technologies into the network that connect the data-center-hosted applications to end-user devices. With Application Velocity, organizations' information technology departments are able to meet or exceed business service-level agreements while deploying innovative cloud-based services and new technologies like virtual desktops or consolidating their data centers.

Cisco is also announcing a comprehensive platform refresh and extension across its switching, routing, security and mobility portfolios to enhance the Borderless Network architecture overall. To read that release, click here.

Key Highlights:

Application Velocity supports greater application visibility and control, pervasive availability of application acceleration and WAN optimization with real-time adaptability, and greater application reliability. Also available are Cisco professional services to help organizations plan, build and run secure, highly scalable solutions to accelerate deployment of Application Velocity network services. In this release Cisco introduces a number of new Application Velocity technologies that are designed to boost application experience, network survivability and consistent Cisco data center and end-user solutions.

• Cisco WAAS Express is a new WAN optimization solution based on Cisco IOS® Software and integrated into the Cisco ISR G2. It offers a cost-effective alternative for service providers' managed services and deployments by small and medium-sized businesses. By supporting TCP optimization and payload compression and eliminating data redundancy, Cisco WAAS Express doubles the bandwidth availability and increases application performance. Its ease of deployment and on-demand availability can significantly reduce operational expenses.
• Cisco WAAS on the ISR G2 Services-Ready Engine (SRE) provides router-integrated, on-demand application acceleration and WAN optimization services. WAAS on SRE helps enterprise branch offices optimize resource-intensive applications. It is particularly helpful with delay-sensitive applications such as video and allows IT departments to achieve better WAN link utilization.
• Cisco Unified Computing System Express extends the Cisco Unified Computing System architecture from the data center to the branch to provide industry-leading end-to-end virtualization. Cisco UCS Express allows customers to run VMware vSphere Hypervisor and Microsoft Windows Server on the ISR G2 SRE module without requiring a separate server. Cisco UCS Express also supports application hosting and survivability for branch offices in WAN failure scenarios and offers consistent operational management with the Cisco Unified Computing System to reduce overall infrastructure costs.

Supporting Quotes:

• Praveen Akkiraju, vice president and general manager, Services Routing Technology Group, Cisco:

"With increased CIO focus on innovation & productivity in the business, the Enterprise Routing infrastructure plays a critical role in optimizing application & user experience in a Cloud centric architecture. By taking an architectural approach from the Data Center to the branch and mobile users, Cisco's Application Velocity on the Integrated Service Router (ISR) G2 platform delivers a high quality Borderless experience for customers."