Cascade Communications Corp, has introduced IP Navigator, a new software function which, according to the company, is the industry’s first carrier-class switching product for Internet Protocol wide area network. The IP Switch, called IP Navigator, is designed to increase IP transmission speeds by handling both traditional routing functions as well as the prioritisation of traffic usually carried out by switches. IP Navigator is a software-only upgrade that can be added to all of Cascade’s product line. It combines wide area network switching end-to-end Quality of Service delivery guarantees with IP transportation and uses Cascade’s Frame Relay and Asynchronous Transfer Mode technology. According to Cascade, IP Navigator can support up to 250,000 routes and is aimed at service providers looking to effectively address the growth in IP traffic on their networks. IP Navigator integrates with Cascade’s existing Virtual Network Navigator architecture and includes support for standards-based IP Multicast functionality in both hardware and software, with open access to standard protocols, including IFMP, TDP, NHRP, RIP, OSPF, and BGP. It is also supported by the CascadeView Network Management System, providing a single network view of the network. IP Navigator will be in beta sites this month and the first customer shipment will be available in the first half of 1997. A software-only upgrade of the product is priced at $15,000 per switch.
