Cisco Unveils New High-Performance WAN Edge Router

"It can process 19.2 billion instructions in the time it takes the average person to blink an eye," said Ben Goldman, director of network systems for Cisco's central marketing organization. "It's like 160 7200 [Series routers] all wrapped together on a single chip."

The ASR is the first product to incorporate the new processor.

Cisco envisions the new router family as a fit for both enterprise and service provider customers. In enterprises, Cisco expects the routers to be used in three different ways: inside the WAN edge framework as head-end aggregation points for Cisco's ISR (Integrated Services Router) branch office family, for larger customers that have built their own WANs on leased lines and as an Internet gateway, Davidson said.

Pricing for the ASR line starts at $35,000. That represents a 30-percent premium over Cisco's 7200 Series routers but also a five to 10-times improvement in performance, plus additional capabilities, he said. It is available in 5-Gbps and 10-Gbps versions, which will begin shipping in April, with a 20-Gbps version planned for release in August, Davidson said.

The ASR line is one of the upgrade recommendations for customers using Cisco's 7500 Series routers, which it stopped selling in December. Cisco continues to sell its 7200 Series routers.

For Cisco solution providers, ASRs will be eligible for several channel incentive programs, including its Opportunity Incentive Program for deal registration and its Technology Migration Program for trade-ins.