Big Blue pits switch against Cisco

IBM is pitching itself against networking giant Cisco as it entered the high-end router market with a switch/router last week.

The hardware giant, which has lacked the ability to tackle networking vendors such as Bay Networks and Cisco, is set to introduce a unit called Nways 2216 Multiaccess Connector. Previously, IBM was forced to ally with companies like Cisco and 3Com.

Big Blue is also expected to roll out more products aimed at improving its figures in the Wan and Lan markets.

The switching unit, which comes with routing software, links to mainframes using a fibre-based enterprise systems connection (Escon) link and will battle with Cisco?s 7000 and 7500 routers.

According to US sources, Big Blue needed to respond to Cisco?s attack on its own patch after a number of its customers started to install the units to connect to their mainframes. Other products unrolled this week will include ATM modules, Wan switches, with channelised ATM modules to follow later this spring.

The vendor is also expected to offer options allowing users to swap between frame relay, ISDN, voice and other data types.

The routers will be primarily aimed at IBM?s own base, where they may replace its dedicated front-end processors.

The move by IBM to develop its own products will increase the pressure on Cisco, which is already having to reposition itself against the threat of the merger between US Robotics and 3Com.

The merger ? the biggest ever in the networking industry ? was announced three weeks ago in a deal worth $6.6 billion (PC Dealer, 5 March).