For those that are already confused by the proliferation of routers and hubs, here’s the Rub – seriously, Redwood City-based Cisco Systems Inc and Santa Clara-based SynOptics Communications Inc have signed a letter of intent for joint development of a fundamentally new network system that integrates router and intelligent hub technology. They are calling it the RubSystem, and say it will enable organisations to build networks significantly larger and more complex than those used today, with Cisco supplying the router and network management technology and Synoptics the advanced hub and its own network management to create a system with high-performance routing capabilities. The basis of the new system will be SunNet Manager from Sun Microsystems Inc’s SunConnect. The two say that they will develop multiple hub, router and management products that encompass Ethernet, Token Ring and Fibre Distributed Data Interface wide area network technologies in parallel design efforts over the next two years, starting with jointly designed network management applications.
