- June 16, 2021
- Cisco Systems
June 15, 2021 - Today, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced a new portfolio of Catlyst industrial edge routers that extend the power of the enterprise network to the edge with the flexibility, security and scalability needed for Iot deployment success. Featuring 5G capabilities today, the portfolio enables organizations to run connected operations at scale with choice of management tools suited for both IT (Cisco DNA Center and Cisco vManage) and operations (Cisco IoT Operations Dashboard and Cisco IoT Field Network Director). The single architecture simplifies IT/OT collaboration while simplifying deployments from the enterprise to the edge.
For many of our customers, the opportunity to secure business-critical operations and contextualize the data that drives revenue is at the edge. The edge is diverse and can be located anywhere–from utility substations and pipelines to roadways and the police cars and buses that run on them. According to Gartner, 75% of data will be generated outside of the data center in these edge environments1. By connecting the edge to the network and fully integrating its data, businesses can greatly improve efficiencies, customer experiences and business outcomes.
Unite your edge with Cisco industrial routers
Organizations are typically connecting these edge devices and environments in isolation. Each use case, whether it’s connecting point-of-sale kiosks or connecting a remote piece of equipment, has different requirements which differ from the enterprise or branch. This results in a fragmented network architecture, increased security vulnerabilities and isolated data that can’t be pulled together.
As businesses accelerate digitization at the edge, the network and the edge devices need to become part of the entire view of the operation to ensure there are no digital blind spots. They need an integrated solution to extend the enterprise network to unite, scale and secure the edge.
“Our customers need our hardware to be in play for 7-10 years in their industrial environments, so the portfolio is designed with modularity for businesses to customize hardware and future-proof networking investments,” said Vikas Butaney, VP/GM of Cisco IoT. “Only Cisco offers a network from the enterprise to the industrial edge, with an architecture that links visibility, automation, and security policies across the branch, data center, and campus to the edge.”
Cisco’s new Catalyst industrial router portfolio enables innovation at the edge for any use case, featuring built-in edge compute and intelligence resources to develop business applications and drive decisions at the edge. New innovations include:
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Three new Catalyst 5G industrial routers to securely connect mobile and fixed assets: Complementing the Cisco Catalyst IR1101, these routers are based on Cisco IOS XE to extend the enterprise network and SD-WAN from enterprise to edge. This single architecture provides IT teams with consistent tools, eliminates training on new devices and technologies, and improves security.
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New Cisco IoT Gateway Series for essential indoor or outdoor connectivity at mass scale: Packaged with Cisco’s cloud-based IoT Operations Dashboard, these cloud-simple gateways are cost-effective and offer fast and simple set up; simply plug it in and power it on to connect previously unconnected assets.
Unprecedented modularity and scale to handle the 5G future and beyond
Agility and data are essential for businesses to adjust to changes in the competitive landscape, improve efficiencies and navigate the pandemic. The need for data means businesses will continue to increase the number of devices connected and the applications supported. As 5G, Wi-Fi 6 and new technologies proliferate, there will be explosive growth in the number of connected devices worldwide–the time is now to prepare the edge to handle the future.
The new portfolio offers the scale, flexibility and security to adapt as the technology changes and new applications are connected. Customers can simply upgrade to a new module when they are ready–minimizing and eliminating a rip and replace cycle to take advantage of 5G and whatever comes next.
The portfolio offers a choice of modules including 5G and LTE for public or private cellular networks, public safety applications like FirstNet, DSL, Wi-SUN, and even storage is upgradable. Additionally, customers have an option to upgrade the CPU and battery in the field.
Built-in, end-to-end security with visibility into operational environments
As industrial and enterprise networks converge with more assets connected at the edge, the threat of exposure increases from a widening attack surface–presenting more security challenges. Organizations need a holistic cybersecurity strategy to manage IT and OT security without separate silos, which limits the abilities of IT and OT security teams to protect OT assets.
The Catalyst industrial router portfolio is built-on Cisco’s industry-leading cybersecurity architecture giving holistic visibility, policies and actions from enterprise to the edge. The portfolio is equipped with Cisco Cyber Vision to provide full visibility into industrial control systems connected at the edge. Cyber Vision embeds cybersecurity within industrial networks for security teams to detect threats to their industrial environments with operational context, enabling organizations to build a truly converged IT/operations threat management strategy – without the need for extra boxes and vendors.
The new Cisco Catalyst Industrial Routers are available starting in June.
Industry response
"Managing the complexity of the industrial edge is challenging. Beyond multiple use cases—each of which has different protocols, connectivity requirements, form factors and security. As a result, there are often multiple vendors involved, creating siloed networks, increased maintenance time and cyber security risks. Uniting this unruly edge can be the gateway to real transformation. Approaches like Cisco's new industrial routing portfolio potentially simplifies the management of this complexity, securely and at scale," said Kevin Prouty, group vice president for IDC Energy and Manufacturing Insights.
“As a core part of supporting critical infrastructure, the utilities industry requires networking products that provide long life, support of open standards to prevent vendor lock-in, and end-to-end security with tight integration to their enterprise systems. By unifying the routing capabilities across their portfolio with modularity, support for the Wi-SUN standard, and a choice of public and private cellular technologies, Cisco is bringing a reliable, scalable and future-proof platform our utility customers demand.”
"With the new line of cellular gateways, Cisco is positioned to deliver the most complete IoT solution for industrial vertical markets," said Mike Finley, president & COO, INS.