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Cisco's latest generation of switches focus on providing intelligence at the edge of the network, where one network exchanges data with another. The demand for intelligence at the edge of the network is being driven largely by four new developments:

• Increase in desktop computing power
• Introduction of bandwidth-intensive applications
• Expansion of highly sensitive data on the network
• Presence of multiple device types, such as IP phones and wireless LAN (WLAN) access points

The latest business applications require higher bandwidth and create a need to differentiate and control traffic flow. Applications such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and voice over IP (VoIP) must have a higher priority to network bandwidth than less time-sensitive applications such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or, for e-mail, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). It is no longer acceptable, for example, to have a large file download destined to one port on a switch to increase the latency, and lower the quality, in voice traffic destined to another port on the same switch. This condition is avoided by ensuring that voice traffic is properly classified and prioritized throughout the network.

Cisco switches implement exceptional Quality of Service (QoS) to help ensure that network traffic is classified and prioritized, and that congestion is avoided. Configuration of QoS is greatly simplified through automatic QoS (auto-QoS), a feature that detects Cisco IP phones and automatically configures the switch for the appropriate classification and egress queuing. This optimizes traffic prioritization and network availability without requiring your IT department to implement a complex configuration.

With Cisco Catalyst switches for small and medium-sized businesses, Cisco enables companies to realize the full benefits of adding intelligent services into their networks. Cisco's switches make it possible to deploy capabilities that make the network infrastructure highly available to accommodate time-critical needs, scalable to accommodate growth, secure enough to protect confidential information, and capable of differentiating and controlling traffic flows are critical to further optimizing network operations.

Cisco Catalyst 2950 Series Switches
Cisco Catalyst 2950SX-24, 2950-24, and 2950-12-Fixed-configuration, managed 10/100 switches providing basic workgroup connectivity for small to medium-sized companies. These wire-speed desktop switches offer Cisco IOS Software functions for basic data, video, and voice services at the edge of the network.

Cisco Catalyst 2950G-12, 2950G-24, 2950G-48, and 2950G-24-DC-These Cisco Catalyst 2950 Series switches are stackable switches that offer wire-speed connectivity to the desktop and Gigabit uplink connectivity using several optional Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) uplinks. These products, as well as the Cisco Catalyst 2950T-24 and 2950C-24 switches, deliver intelligent services, such as availability, security, and quality of service (QoS) to the network edge-using the simple Cisco Cluster Management Suite (CMS) Software Web-based interface. These switches, along with the Cisco Catalyst 2950T-24 and 2950C-24 switches, come with Cisco Enhanced Image (EI) Software installed to provide intelligent services.

Cisco Catalyst 2950C-24 and 2950T-24-Existing members of the Cisco Catalyst 2950 Series of high-performance, standalone, 10/100 autosensing Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet switches. Both products bring intelligent services to the edge of the network to accommodate the needs of growing workgroups and server connectivity. The Cisco Catalyst 2950C-24 provides 24 10/100 ports plus 2 fixed 100BASE-FX ports. The Cisco Catalyst 2950T-24 switch offers medium-sized enterprises an easy migration path to Gigabit by using existing copper cabling infrastructure with 24 10/100 ports plus 2 fixed 10/100/1000BASE-T uplinks. Embedded in the Cisco Catalyst 2950 Series is Cisco CMS Software, which allows users to simultaneously configure and troubleshoot multiple Cisco Catalyst desktop switches using a standard Web browser.

Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series Switches
Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series switches are designed for enterprise LAN access, branch offices, Layer 3 distribution points, small and medium-sized businesses, and metropolitan (metro) Ethernet deployments. The Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series comprises a series of chassis ranging from 3 to 10 slots and a set of supervisor engines delivering up to 136 Gbps of Layer 2-4 switching. The Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series supports an extensive set of line cards, including high-density 10/100, 10/100/1000 (both with 802.3af Power over Ethernet [PoE] options), 100BASE-FX, 100BASE-LX10, 100BASE-BX-D, Gigabit Ethernet, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet.

The Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series offers a price-performance range of chassis: Cisco Catalyst 4510R (10 slots with redundant supervisor option), Cisco Catalyst 4507R (7 slots with redundant supervisor option), Cisco Catalyst 4506 (6 slots) and Cisco Catalyst 4503 (3 slots).

How NOVA Can Help You with Cisco Switches
NOVA's  consultants can help you select and deploy switches appropriate for your current business needs and your plans for future growth. NOVA's  security consultants can help you develop a comprehensive security policy and configure Cisco switches so they help enforce your security strategy.