New Cisco edge router to focus on metro apps in 2009

Cisco has announced a new edge router, the 9000, which is widely expected to be the replacement for its aging but important 7600 series. The new box features a card design that gives it a very high per-card capacity, making it capable of supporting the new 100 Mbps Ethernet standard when it is finalized. The box is most likely to be deployed in an edge-of-core or metro-core application, with the latter application focusing on replacing PBT with MPLS inside a metro network. We believe that Cisco will be going full out in 2009 on the metro applications, as well as on “glamour” plays like its deal with the Yankees for an immersive multimedia experience in the stadium.