ISR-AX enables business-critical applications to run faster, and provides network-wide visibility and control for accelerated application deployments, granular performance monitoring, and rapid resolution without the need for any additional devices. Ultimately, this solution helps IT lower the barriers for delivering an optimal experience from anywhere with operational simplicity and lower total cost of ownership.

"Because all traffic goes through the router, it offers a streamlined approach for scaling application services to ensure a high quality of experience across the network," said Rob Soderbery, Sr VP, Cisco Enterprise Networking Group (ENG). "With Cisco ISR-AX, Cisco is redefining the role of the router as the application delivery platform and providing our customers with a more affordable solution they can easily deploy across their network."

Recognizing the market need to deliver these capabilities pervasively across the network, the Cisco ISR-AX is up to 35 percent less expensive than alternative vendor WAN optimization appliances. It allows customers to cost-effectively scale the solution network-wide to all of their branch offices with many more capabilities.

With more than 500,000 worldwide customers and leader in the global enterprise router market share, the Cisco ISR-AX is positioned to build on the success of Layer 2 and 3 converged network services with Layer 4 through 7 application services, and help IT utilize the router as the platform to simplify migrating applications as the business requires.

The Cisco ISR-AX is a foundational element of the Cisco Cloud Intelligent Network that allows IT to prioritize application traffic to deliver the best user experience by addressing application specific performance requirements, resulting greater business agility and employee productivity.

The new Cisco ISR-AX solution includes:

• Cisco 3900-AX, 2900-AX or 1900-AX ISR, based on Cisco's ISR G2 router

• Cisco security license, including VPN, firewall and intrusion prevention

• Cisco Services-Ready Engine or maximum RAM

• Products are configurable for additional network services, computation or storage

All Cisco 3900-AX, 2900-AX and 1900-AX products are currently available. Cisco will extend the AX router family to the Cisco 800 ISR, Cisco ASR1000 and Cisco CSR1000V Series, providing application services for the teleworker, network edge, data center and cloud.