Cisco Upgrades Switch Line

Cisco Systems this morning introduced a faster version of its popular Catalyst 6500 Series switch to help corporate customers better manage converged voice, video and data networks.

In addition to improvements in speed and the amount of traffic the platform can handle, the upgrade also includes beefed up wireless capabilites to support a growing number of devices and services such as Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) and Network Address Translation (NAT).

Like previous versions of the product, easy integration with older infrastructure remains a key selling point, the San Jose, Calif., company said.

“(The Catalyst 6500 can connect) the wiring closet, to the core, to the data center, to the WAN edge, including Metro Ethernet environments,” said Luca Cafiero, a Cisco vice president.

Starting price for the product, which is available now, is $28,000. Several other configurations are scheduled for release in coming months.

“The network is increasingly becoming a strategic asset which can help us realize our academic, research and business goals, via an infrastructure which can support the advanced nature of our new network core,” said Jimmy Kyriannis, network architect and manager at New York University. “By moving to Gigabit Ethernet, we can increase network availability through a proven technology that’s cost-effective to support.”

The enhancements come two weeks after the comany unveiled nwe security software compatible with the Catalyst 6500 line and 7600 Series routers, which offer Internet protocol services at the network edge.