Cisco opens up ISR, WAAS to third-parties; aims new blades at SMBs

Cisco Thursday announced that it is opening up its Integrated Services Router and Cisco Wide Area Application Services to become Linux-based application server platforms, enabling customers and third-party developers to create software for branch networks. The announcement was part of a wider update of some of Cisco's wireless and application management products aimed at branch offices.

A Cisco Application eXtension Platform (AXP) blade card for ISRs will be available to developers that will include Linux-based ISR hardware modules and hosting for tighter integration of the network and applications, says Cisco. Downloadable software development kits and application programming interfaces will be available to developers through its Technology Developer Program. Cisco AXP is delivered via network modules and Advanced Integration Modules on the Cisco ISR, and multiple applications can be supported on a single AXP module concurrently, says Cisco.

Cisco says there are already multiple applications available now from Cisco TDP AXP partners including Avocent, with which Cisco is working to load Avocent's MergePoint and Patch Manager software onto its AXP blades.

Following up its pact with Microsoft to resell Windows Server 2008, Cisco announced the WAAS WAE-674 application engine to support virtual blades for hosting the Microsoft operating system, as well as other third-party apps.

Cisco also added the 880 and 860 Series ISRs to its family, describing them as the first fixed-configuration routers that combine Cisco Unified Wireless and IEEE 802.11n wireless LAN technology for small branches and virtual workers. Select models of the Cisco 880 Series ISR offer an integrated 3G wireless WAN interface. Other modules provide support for managed services, including managed voice and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking support.

Cisco also introduced enhancements to Cisco Unified Border Element, a set of Cisco IOS Software features that provide advanced Session Border Controller functionality for the Cisco ISR with support for SIP profiles, SIP video, and interconnect enhancements for device interoperability. Cisco also introduced its Configuration Professional Management Software, a tool that enables the integrated management of voice, security and data services on Cisco routers.

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