If you ask me (aka Cisco), I will tell you that it is Cisco’s next-generation architecture, that delivers the new workspace experience, connecting anyone, anywhere, using any device, to any resource—securely, reliably, seamlessly.  What it means to me is that I can be more productive and work anytime from anywhere.  As eloquent as that may sound, I am betting that you would like to hear what IT professionals have to say – right?  Then check out this video with candid responses when we asked from the show floor “What is Borderless Networks and what does that mean to you?”  Do you agree with these IT professionals or do you have a different view?  If you are at Interop, please stop by the Cisco booth and tell us what you think. If you are not at Interop or if you prefer the virtual world, please respond to this blog. 

What do you think Borderless Networks is and what does it mean to you?

When examining the role of technology vendors within the standards process, it is important to understand that many levels of commitment and participation are possible. After all, most vendors will state they are firmly committed to industry standards and open systems. As proof of this commitment, every vendor will point to their respective product specifications for the always-present list of supported standards. While these lists provide a good starting point in determining how committed vendors are to delivering standardized solutions, they are just that, a start. In essence, these compliance specifications serve as the initial (and lowest) setting for the “open standards” bar. The true standards bearers are prepared and have proven to jump over a much higher bar.

So how does one judge the level of commitment of a vendor to industry standards and open systems?

When it comes to the network, I’m a selfish guy.  I want to use my computer and phone anytime, from anywhere, and with anyone.  I want it all and when it is convenient for me.  I honestly don’t feel too bad about this selfish streak since everyone I know wants the same things from the network.  Most people don’t care about problems that result from sharing the network – they just want unlimited and uninterrupted access.  

To meet this need, the Internet, public services and many corporate networks are moving to IPv6, a newer version of basic IP protocol.  Why is there such a need to change when the existing standard, IPv4, is still running our networks just fine?  Well, quite frankly, the world is running out of IPv4 addresses. Current fixes to share IPv4 addresses among users and devices cause performance, scalability and reliability problems as new devices and new video, voice, and collaborative applications become pervasive. 

Now, there is a hidden technical problem in the SmartGrid. Luckily, it is one that is easily solved. Have you spotted it?

Abner Germanow, a technology analyst at IDC, is worried about the future of the network.  He writes about change in the network and the worries we need to address to build networks that are ready for the future.  His ideas are captured in a free white paper called “Demonstrating the Value of a Foundation Network”.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive.  In addition to our customers and channel partners, several analysts and members of the media have supported this direction and the ISR G2, and there is a “feel good” factor about the announcement.  David Gartner of the Information Week called the ISRs as the foot soliders of Networking. I thought that was a great analogy.

Yesterday, there was a note from Wedbrush Morgan giving Cisco an upgrade for this launch referring to the ISR G2 and the ASR 1000 series, including the new ASR 1002-Fixed platform, while stating “we view the ISR to be the anchor product of Cisco’s enterprise networking business and the single largest margin contributor in the company. The first generation ISR was introduced about five years ago, so the ISR G2 represents one of the largest installed base upgrade opportunities the industry has seen”.

This launch was picked up by the media in different geographies. With over 7 million ISRs deployed worldwide, and many pre-ISR routers still powering branch offices, yes, it does represent a significant installed base.

Jim Duffy at Network World commented on Borderless Networks saying:

“Borderless Network is intended to support applications, processing cycles and services that are increasingly distributed and virtualized, such as those in cloud computing and software-as-a-service environments. Some analysts say it is more than another Cisco “marketecture,” though. “

David Garner at InformationWeek picks up this sentiment as well:

“Taken together, the Borderless Networks architecture and the ISR G2 form a sort of central nervous system network that simplifies the delivery of networked business services throughout IT organizations, large and small. Cisco said a five-phased plan will help “deliver services and applications to anyone, anywhere, on any device, at anytime—seamlessly, reliably, and securely.”

Jeffery Burt at eWeek comments on the trends taking place in the industry to warrant the ISR G2’s feature updates:

“These capabilities are going to be important, given the current trends, Palmer said. By 2012, 90 percent of the bandwidth for consumer traffic will be video-based. In addition, employees in greater numbers are bringing in their consumer devices—such as iPhones or their own laptops—and expecting the same level of access to enterprise applications that they’d receive from company-issued devices.”

There are many others. Social media was an active component here as well. Lots of good responses on Cisco’s Routers Facebook page and the CiscoGeeks Twitter feed.

Even some of our competitors also found it worthwhile to give our announcement a plug. As always, we welcome that.