Cisco bows new router as part of Borderless Networks architecture

Today, Cisco announced its Borderless Networks architecture, which is a five-phase plan that was designed to help provision services and applications to anyone, anywhere, on any device, at anytime.

The spearpoint of the new architecture is the second generation of Cisco’s Integrated Services Router (ISR G2). Cisco said the ISR G2 helps businesses and service providers simplify and scale delivery of on-demand, networked business services like video and collaborative applications at branch offices.

Cisco also said the new portfolio of ISR G2 routers serves as a natural part of the company's Borderless Networks architecture, which combines Cisco's routing, switching, wireless and security technologies into a more tightly integrated networking infrastructure that allows businesses to embrace the growing use of video, collaborative applications and other networked services and deliver them across their enterprises.

With Borderless Networks, information technology managers can more easily manage, scale, govern and protect networks, while tightening the synergy between users, devices, applications and business processes.

The Cisco ISR G2 portfolio was based on the company's 25-year routing heritage. Cisco said it offers as much as five times the performance of its predecessor, the Cisco ISR, the industry's most widely deployed router, with more than 7 million units sold since its introduction in 2004.

"Building on Cisco's branch office heritage, the Cisco Integrated Services Router Generation 2 delivers a borderless network experience through service virtualization, new video-ready capabilities and operational excellence,” said Richard Palmer, senior vice president for Cisco's Access Routing Group. “High-performance, secure collaboration across time zones and devices with rich-media services will allow businesses to meet changing needs and increase employee productivity."