Cisco Systems Inc has announced what it claims are the industry’s first inverse multiplexers for Asynchronous Transfer Mode networks. The products are designed to bridge the gap between T1/E1 – 1.544Mbps or 2.048Mbps, and T3/E3 45Mbps or 34Mbps speeds, and will be pitched at Internet service providers, carriers and corporations. The technology, which originated at StrataCom Inc prior to its takeover by Cisco, is cell-based, and as such is said to have advantages over alternative bit-based approaches, since it does not require the synchronization of the T1/E1 links. It has been proposed to the ATM Forum for consideration as a standard, and has already been adopted by companies including ADC Kentrox Inc, OnStream Networks Inc and Network E quipment Technologies Inc. Cisco says that, should the standard change prior to its adoption, it will provide a free software upgrade to existing users. Initially, the Inverse Multiplexing for ATM products are available for the BPX/AXIS wide area network ATM switch that Cisco acquired through StrataCom, but modules for Cisco’s Lightstream 1010 campus ATM switches, and the Cisco 7000 router family will also be added. Supporting speeds from 1.544Mbps to 16Mbps, the modules for the BPX will start at $18,000. The company also has an eight-port T1/E1 ATM User to Network Interface service module which supports ATM inverse multi-plexing on the AXIS; pricing for the module begins at $24,000, with Inverse Multiplexing for ATM available as a per port option for $1,000.
