Collectively, the new products and services allow customers to standardise their branch architecture on a consistent set of security, unified communications, application acceleration and wireless services while optimising branch performance and cost. Designed to facilitate interoperability, these additions enhance the overall branch experience to help lower the barriers to entry for wide service adoption in the branch and reduce the total cost of operations.
Today’s new Cisco Empowered Branch offerings include:
Cisco 1861 Integrated Services Router (ISR) which Cisco says offers a compact all-in-one unified communications solution and highly secure routing platform enabling anytime, anywhere access to business-critical information resulting in more effective communications and collaboration.
Cisco Catalyst® 2960 Series Switches with LAN Lite Cisco IOS Software. Cisco claims this proposition reduces the network total cost of ownership by simplifying the migration from non-intelligent hubs and unmanaged switches to fully scalable managed switches with entry-level security, quality of service (QoS) and availability.
Cisco Intrusion Prevention System Advanced Integration Module (IPS AIM). Here Cisco say they can scale security performance and threat-prevention, helping branch offices defend critical business processes against attack and disruption while protecting privacy and supporting policy and regulatory compliance.
Additionally, Cisco is introducing IOS Performance Routing (PfR) and High-End Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) Network Module to accelerate business-critical applications and minimise WAN bandwidth expenses with application-aware routing and WAN traffic optimization.
Completing the launch is Wireless LAN Controller support for IEEE 802.11n to ensure smooth migration path to new wireless technologies and services, while preserving existing investment.
Amid all the new product introductions is a message saying that Cisco Unified Messaging Gateway cost-effectively scales Cisco Unity Express, Cisco Unity and legacy voice messaging services to very large organisations.
“With the emergence of new business applications and a more collaborative global business environment, our customers are putting a greater emphasis on their remote offices,” said Marie Hattar, senior director of network systems at Cisco. “Cisco Empowered Branch allows them to take advantage of new business opportunities by providing them with a network platform that addresses all their application and service needs today, yet continuously evolves to provide service innovations required for the future.”