Cisco Extends Enterprise ATM Networking Solutions - Cisco Systems - Company Business and Marketing

Cisco Systems, Inc. Monday extended its Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) solution portfolio with new multiservice ATM and Layer 3 capabilities for enterprise networks. Enabling seamless integration of multiple traffic types in the network backbone, new features announced Monday reduce network operation costs and complexity and form the framework for converged Internet protocol (IP) and ATM networks and applications.

New products and features unveiled Monday include: o ATM Forum-compliant inverse multiplexing over ATM (IMA) network modules for the Cisco 2600 and 3600 Series platforms, the Catalyst 8500 Series multiservice switch router (MSR) and Lightstream 1010, the Cisco 7200 and 7500 Series routers and the Cisco MGX 8850 and 8220 carrier-grade platforms

* An ATM switched virtual circuit (SVC), RS-366 signaling interface and FRF.8 frame relay/ATM services interworking support on the Cisco MC3810 multiservice access concentratorA high-capacity OC-48c module on the Catalyst 8500 Series MSR

* An ATM router module on the Catalyst 8500 Series MSR

* Layer 3 access control list (ACL) daughter cards and an eight-port gigabit ethernet line card on the Catalyst 8500 Series MSR

Demand for ATM networking gear - estimated to reach nearly $7 billion by 2001 in Vertical Systems Group's 1998 ATM & Frame Relay Industry Update Report - is driven in the enterprise segment by the need for affordable, high-speed connectivity capable of integrating time-division multiplexing (TDM), IP and new multiservice applications.

With over $2 billion in ATM-related equipment sales in fiscal 1999, Cisco has a well established leadership role in ATM networking. Industry analysts confirm this strength, as evidenced by recent Cahners In-Stat reports which rate Cisco number one in OC-12 ATM LAN switch port shipments (Q199), number two in ATM LAN switch sales (1998) and number one in ATM WAN switching (Q199). A May 1999 Dataquest report also rates Cisco number one in backbone multiservice switch sales worldwide (Spring '99 Networking Worldwide Report).

"As this market data indicates, Cisco's commitment to ATM technology is very solid-much stronger, in fact, than many people realize," noted Prem Jain, vice president and general manager of Cisco's enterprise WAN business unit. "We are now making an even greater commitment to ATM-leveraging our extensive IP expertise to provide customers with intelligent networks that cost-effectively deliver IP-driven, ATM-enabled convergence solutions," said Jain.