Cisco has launched a router and application management platform which pushes more intelligence into service provider data networks.

The Cisco CRS-1 8-Slot System adds a new member to the firm's flagship router family, joining the Cisco CRS-1, which launched in May. The CRS-1 8-Slot Single-Shelf System has a total switching capacity of 640Gbps. It is designed to meet the needs of large enterprises and service providers. The CRS-1, with a switching capacity of 92TBps, is purely for telcos, which need its capacity to handle 40Gbps data feeds.

To manage the flow of traffic across these monster routers, Cisco launched two hardware appliances the Cisco 1000 Service Control Engine and 2000 Service Control Engine. Both devices stem from Cisco's recent P-Cube acquisition. They enable carriers to analyse, manage and control applications, provide subscriber and application-aware security, adjust pricing, offer application-level quality of service (QoS) and to track transactions by content-type and subscriber. Previously announced applications of P-Cube's technology include tracking and tracing the zombie PC components of botnet attack networks.

Cisco said its new products will help service providers to provision and new services such as applications that offer voice, video, data with roving capabilities. Or a "triple play on the move", as Cisco terms it.

Neil Walker, a product marketing manager at Cisco, said the products allow carriers to move from offering an "information superhighway to a personalised tollway with differentiated, personalised services".

Cisco CRS-1 8-Slot Systems start at $225,000 and are available now. Pricing information for the Service Control Engine appliances was not available at the time of writing. ®

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