Cisco adds routers for branch-office apps

Cisco Systems at the Interop conference in Las Vegas on Monday will expand its line of wireless-enabled routers that provide advanced security functions and support data, voice and video traffic.

The announcement by Cisco is one of several rollouts planned by major networking equipment vendors as part of the event, which is now in its 20th year.

Cisco is adding 11 models to its roster of so-called integrated services routers – five in the 1800 Series line that debuted last year with a single model, and six that upgrade its entry-level 800 Series to the integrated services status. The new routers start at $400 to $1,300 and are aimed at small businesses and the branch offices of large companies, said Robert Checketts, senior manager of enterprise routing product marketing at Cisco.

Checketts added that this week’s announcement rounds out the integrated services router line, which also includes the higher-end 3800 and 2800 series. Cisco has sold $600 million worth of the routers during the past two quarters, its fastest product sales ramp-up ever, he said.

Grant Opperman, president and chief strategy officer at D.W. Morgan in Pleasanton, Calif., said the logistics outsourcing company tested a prerelease version of Cisco’s Model 1811 router and now wants to try one of the new 800 Series devices to see if it’s as easy to deploy.

The 1811 was configured in one day with firewall, data security and voice capabilities, according to Opperman. “What a difference,” he said, comparing the quick installation with his previous experiences with routers from Cisco and other vendors. Opperman added that because the integrated services routers provide so much functionality, he calls them “an office in a box.”

Dan Campbell, CIO at Watt Commercial Properties in Santa Monica, Calif., said he wants to order 800 Series routers with integrated Wi-Fi capabilities for up to 40 branch offices. The routers would support workers who have wireless-enabled laptops. Campbell said the purchase would eliminate the need to buy multiple boxes to provide security and routing capabilities at the branch offices.

Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at Yankee Group in Boston, said the integrated services router line fills a gap for users who want the ability to easily manage branch offices remotely. Cisco’s offering brings together more features than many of its competitors have built into their branch-office routers, Kerravala added.

In addition to supporting wire-speed performance, Cisco’s devices include built-in virtual private network hardware encryption and acceleration, a VPN firewall and intrusion-prevention functionality. Optional Wi-Fi support costs $100 to $300 per router.

Cisco will also make separate security and wireless announcements at Interop but wouldn’t disclose details last week. Other vendors planning rollouts at the show include Siemens Communications, Avaya and Nortel Networks.

The conference had been called NetWorld+Interop since 1994. But its owner, San Francisco-based MediaLive International, this year decided to revert to Interop, which was the show’s original name.