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Cisco Systems is looking to bring better security and performance to its “Borderless Network” strategy by adding new products that span its switching, routing and wireless portfolios.
In the name of security, Cisco announced a new ASA Adaptive Security Appliance and an updated AnyConnect VPN client. The ASA 5585-X Adaptive Security Appliance offers support for 20G bps of multiprotocol throughput and 35G bps of large packet throughput for enhanced firewall performance, the company said. In addition, there is support for 10,000 VPN connections, 350,000 connections per second and 8 million total connections, as well as intrusion prevention technology and always-on remote access using Cisco AnyConnect.
“IT managers want to use the network to support the needs of the business,” said Brett Galloway, senior vice president of Cisco’s Wireless, Security and Routing Technology Group, in a statement. “But the business is changing, and IT managers are under increasing pressure to make the network available to anyone, anywhere, anytime and on any device-in a highly secure, reliable, seamless manner. This is precisely the challenge that the Cisco Borderless Network was designed to address. This third expansion of the Borderless Network’s portfolio is designed to help customers reach new levels of innovation and participation by engaging their customers and employees to create entirely new ways of doing business.”
In AnyConnect 3.0, Cisco added IPsec IKEv2 support as well as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security), an integrated 802.1X supplicant and 802.1AE MACSec support. The latest version also supports hybrid secure mobility deployments by extending protection to mobile workers through ScanSafe cloud security services and on-premises Web security appliances, Cisco said.
The company also unveiled the ASR 1001 router, which enables 5G bps performance throughput and will be available in December, and the Catalyst 4500 E-Series switch, which delivers 848G bps of system bandwidth.
Pricing for the ASR 5585-X starts at $29,995 and extends to $300,000, with pricing models depending on capacity and what features are enabled. The VPN, firewall and integrated remote access features are shipping now, while the IPS blade will be available by the end of the year, Cisco said. The Catalyst 4500-E series starts at $27,480.