Internet infrastructure product provider Unisphere Networks has launched what it describes as the industry's first multi-server edge router to meet the growing demand for Internet protocol (IP) services.
The MRX offers native multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) from Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) on high-speed optical networks. Unisphere says the router's capacity can scale from 40 gigabits per second (Gbps) to 320Gbps.
Adam Judd, Unisphere's vice-president for the Asia-Pacific region, said: 'This is the very first multi-server routing switch in the world. It is unique because a lot of our competitors out there have multi-server devices but they're ATM switches with IP routing added to them. We are an IP router with ATM functions.'
Mr Judd said network carriers and providers such as Cisco and Nortel had been providing ATM switching through the implementation of software-based router blades.
'Every single carrier agrees IP has won the war. IP will take over from ATM one day,' he said.
'But it is going to take time for people to abandon ATM for IP because there are no great cost incentives today for throwing away your existing ATM infrastructure.
'So we are solving the problem of ATM to IP migration, of bandwidth aggregation.'
