Cisco Continues Innovation on the Catalyst 6500 with Enhancements across its Services Module Portfolio; Customer Adoption Successes Validate Integrated Intelligence Approach.

LAS VEGAS -- Cisco Systems(R) (NASDAQ:CSCO) today announced new and enhanced software features across several Services Modules available for the Cisco(R) Catalyst(R) 6500 Series switches, which help customers use innovative technology to support their continually evolving networking requirements.

Cisco currently offers over 20 different services modules for the Catalyst 6500 in five categories: security, application networking, network monitoring, wireless/mobility, and IP communications. By integrating these modules in their existing Catalyst 6500 switches, every port becomes services capable, making the Catalyst 6500 among the most scalable, high-performance platform for integrated services from the network infrastructure to the application levels. Further, customers can defend their network infrastructure with unified threat protection by integrating firewall, intrusion protection, denial of service attack protection, and IPSEC or SSL VPN services.

In general, customers using the services modules for the Catalyst 6500 reduce their total cost of ownership by taking advantage of simplified infrastructure, improved investment protection, pervasive security, and the high levels of performance, scalability, and innovative technologies. These services modules also form the interactive services layer of Cisco's Service Oriented Network Architecture, or SONA, by bridging the gap between the network infrastructure and the application requirements of enterprises.

Industry-leading innovations such as those made available through these Services Modules have contributed into making the Catalyst 6500 the most successful networking platform ever, surpassing $20 billion in sales since its introduction in 1999(a).

Most recent enhancements to the Catalyst 6500 Services Modules include:

--Comprehensive traffic analysis for IP-based networks, applications, and services including IP/MPLS, voice, and QoS through the Network Analysis Module 3.5

--DDoS Multi-Device Manager (MDM) 1.0 for enhanced usability and consolidated monitoring, reporting, and configuration for the Anomaly Detector and Guard Modules

New modules and enhancements Cisco has delivered over the last six months include:

--New Application Control Engine (ACE), a services module which converges multiple data center services including server load balancing, application switching and acceleration together with integrated network and application security. Powered by a high-performing modular architecture that delivers the highest performance in the industry, up to 16Gbps, across 250 virtual services partitions, the Application Control Engine offers customers the ability to provide unparalleled application performance, availability and security

--Availability of the new Wireless Services Module (WiSM), among the industry's most innovative, unified, scalable wireless networking solutions

--Enhanced scalability and advanced firewall capabilities with application and protocol inspection on the Firewall Services Module 3.1

--Leading network collaboration with the ability to enforce rate-limiting on managed devices, multi-vector threat detection with ability to inspect IPv6, MPLS, GRE and SCADA network traffic, and other industry-leading intrusion prevention capabilities for the Intrusion Detection System Module 2 5.1 with IPS 5.1

--Encrypted multicast over generic routing encapsulation (GRE) using GRE tunnel protection capabilities on the IPSec VPN Shared Port Adapter Module with IOS 12.(18)SXF2

--Voice Security, survivability features, gateway functionality and Interactive Voice Response on the Communication Media Module with IOS 12.4(7a)

Customer Adoption Successes

Catalyst 6500 customers of all sizes and in various vertical markets have integrated Services Modules into their network infrastructure since their initial availability in 2001. Examples of successful customer deployments include:

The Park Hill School District, based in Kansas City, MO., supports more than 9,500 students in 15 K-through-12 schools. The district has deployed both the Network Analysis and the Wireless Services modules for their Catalyst 6500 switches to better support its data center-consolidation project.

"Wireless networking is a key IT initiative for our district that we use to support a number of existing and future educational programs," said Brad Sandt, lead network engineer at the Park Hill School District. "The availability of the Wireless Services Modules was particularly valuable for our needs as it will allow us to scale to more wireless access points using less equipment that seamlessly integrates into our existing Catalyst 6500 switches."

Formed as an independent entity in 1950, the Birmingham Water Works Board provides high-quality water and services for the more than 1.2 million citizens of the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area in Alabama. The Board has deployed Catalyst 6500 switches throughout its primary campus network and at 16 remote sites, utilizing multiprotocol label switching, or MPLS, technology. The Board has also deployed Intrusion Detection System, Firewall Services, and Network Analysis modules.

"We may be small in size as an organization but we have a large-company attitude when it comes to information technology," said James "Pete" Davis, senior network analyst and communications supervisor at the Birmingham Water Works Board. "Excellent customer support and service is of highest importance to us, and technologies such as the Catalyst 6500 switches and their Integrated Services Modules provide us the flexibility of services as well as the scalability and performance requirements we need to meet our IT objectives."

Located in Durham, North Carolina, NCCU (North Carolina Central University) is among the fastest growing institutions in the state's college and university system. To support its employees and more than 8,000 students, NCCU's networks have more than 400 Catalyst switches and 300 wireless access points. NCCU has deployed Firewall Services and Network Analysis modules in its two Catalyst 6509s in its network core to provide routing, security/access control, as well as traffic monitoring capabilities.

"We consider the deployment of the FSWM and NAM-2 for our Catalyst 6500 switches to be a highly successful endeavor," said Greg Marrow, chief information officer at NCCU. "Because of the Cisco Catalyst 6500s scalability, the ability to create multiple virtual firewalls in a single module, and the additional monitoring capabilities of the NAM-2, resources have been freed to concentrate on other aspects of the network environment. Specific successes of this deployment we can point to would include thwarting 80 percent of incoming virus attacks, while being able to reduce 90 percent of bandwidth consumption by identifying and eliminating illicit application usage."

El Segundo, Calif.-based PureVideo, a leading provider of user-based video content and parent company of Stupidvideos.com, standardized its network using Catalyst 6500 switches in order to better meet the scalability and performance requirements necessary to support some 80 million videos for 5 million site visitors each month. Based on consultation from Data Systems Worldwide (DSW), a Cisco Security and Wireless Specialized Channel Partner, PureVideo has purchased the Firewall Services, the Intrusion Detection, the Network Analysis, and the Application Control Engine modules to be deployed as part of a major network upgrade scheduled later this summer.

"Our view of the network is that it has to perform for our needs today but be instantly scalable. We have to meet the demands of users and customers who don't care about how much traffic you can accept yesterday -- we have to be ready to accept 5 to 20 million visitors without a hitch," said Russ Smith, vice president of Technology at PureVideo. "We had relied on a number of different vendors to build our old network; however, DSW was able to demonstrate a compelling cost-to-performance benefit of deploying the Catalyst 6500 with its high-performance chassis and integrated intelligence options. Today and going forward, the Catalyst 6500 and its Services Modules are the linchpin of our IT infrastructure that will enhance our users experiences and keep them coming back."

"DSW is proud of our Cisco relationship. As a company in business since 1971, it is wonderful to see Cisco integrate multiple complex technologies into a single footprint that provides exceptional capabilities at a reasonable price," said Mike Mogavero, executive vice president of Sales and Marketing at DSW.

For more information about these Catalyst 6500 innovations, please go to: http://www.cisco.com/go/ContinuedInnovations.

(a) Data based on internal Cisco research

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