Cisco proves again that nobody can touch them when it comes to network performance. Clocking in at 322Tbps (320,000,000,000,000 bits per second), the CRS-3 promises to provide the speed necessary to download the entire Library of Congress in one second. Their projections indicate every user requiring high-def video, on-line gaming, movie downloads and the like will require 15 TB of data per month. The obvious 800 pound gorilla in the list is the high-def video which consumes 13 of the 15 TB. Sam Diaz of ZDNet attended the announcement:
Cisco made a significant announcement today in its effort to revamp the Internet as we know, launching a new networking router that has the power and the capacity to handle the demands of the next generation Internet.
The product is the Cisco CRS-3 Carrier Routing System, which is designed to be the “foundation” of the next-generation Internet, one that can set the pace for video growth. The device promises to more than 12 times the traffic capacity of the closest competing system, with up to 322 terabits per second. How fast is that? The company said it enables the entire printed collection of the Library of Congress to be downloaded in just over one second.
OK, that’s fast - but why do we need this sort of speed and capacity?
This is less about the Internet that connects Web surfers; This is about the Internet’s backbone - a beefed-up pipeline that exceeds the sort of power that we actually need today, but prepares us for the growth that will come from Internet as it relates to video and advanced communications.
The company also said that AT&T recently tested the CRS-3 in a successful completion of a field trial of 100-Gigabit backbone network technology. The CRS-3 is currently in other field trials.
In a Webcast announcement, CEO John Chambers talked about how changing needs drive this demand. This is about meeting the needs of a future generation of users, today’s kids who already see video and communications as part of our connected lives,
This is also about verticals such as health care or education or government and their needs to not only connect to each other for enhanced communications but with their customers, as well. On a business front, this is about the technology that will change everything from virtualization to collaboration.
John Chambers says this is a step in Cisco moving away from being just the plumber of the Internet to being a business partner, and adviser on how to bring new life to new technologies. Chambers has long said that the network is at the core of the Internet.
Cisco stock (NASDAQ:CSCO) has been trading up significantly for the last couple of days in anticipation of today's announcement and as of this post is holding it's value at $26.03. Investors tend to "sell on the news", but that hasn't happened yet. Maybe this announcement is viewed as a business boon for Cisco.
For the rest of us this is great news. Cisco's CEO, John Chambers says CRS-3 is the result of a $1.6 billion investment. It's nice to see a company making this level of investment in new technology, especially one that will impact so many people. As end users, we just want the bandwidth. We don't care how it happens. Google is dabbling in the ISP business and plans to wire a select few communities with 1Gbps internet service. I don't know about you, but I'd be first in line to sign up if it were offered in my town. Cisco seems to be providing the technology to make this sort of "super" high speed internet more than just wishful thinking.