Cisco products to fuse voice with IP networks and fax services

San Jose, Calif.

Cisco Systems, Inc. last week unveiled enhancements to its routers and switches that will let users meld voice traffic onto IP data networks.

At the same time, Cisco rolled out the Cisco 2600 line of access routers that feature support for voice and fax (NW, March 23, page 8). The 2600 line is targeted at branch offices.

"Cisco is not only adding multiservice capabilities to the enterprise but they are also pushing it all the way to the branch," said Lisa Allocca, senior consultant at Renaissance Worldwide, Inc., a Newton, Mass., consultancy. "And they are doing it at a very attractive cost point."

Those cost points may not last, though, as users fill out their networks with voice/data gear from Cisco and other vendors, Allocca noted.

For now, however, Cisco unwrapped the Universal Switching Module (UXM) for its StrataCom IGX WAN access switches, and a new voice-management application for its 3600 series routers and AS5300 dial-access servers. The management application also works with the new 2600 access router.

The UXM is an ATM User-to-Network and Network-to-Network Interface. It lets users add ATM to the existing frame relay, circuit data, and voice switching and transport capabilities of the IGX.

The UXM comes in three flavors: two- or four-port OC-3, three- or six-port T-3/ E-3, or four- or eight-port T-1/E-1.

The UXM provides NxT-1/E-1 inverse muxing, ATM traffic management, available bit rate service and buffering for 128,000 cells per module.

The UXM costs $16,000 to $28,000, depending on speeds and the number of ports. Managing voice

For voice management, Cisco un-veiled the Cisco Voice Manager application. Cisco Voice Manager is a Java-based application, which means it can ostensibly run on any platform, including Unix and Windows NT.

The software enables users to configure voice-over-IP interfaces and assign phone numbers to IP addresses. The application also monitors voice quality on each call and measures delay, packet loss and type of service parameters.

Cisco Voice Manager also provides call detail records, call volume reports and active call reports. The application costs $2,995 to $4,995, depending on managed device.

The Cisco 2600 line consists of two models, the 2610, which supports one Ethernet port, and the 2611, which sports two Ethernet ports. They range in price from $2,700 to $7,500.

The UXM, Voice Manager and 2600 boxes will be available in April.

Cisco: (408) 526-4000