5/21/2007 -- Cisco Systems Inc., last week announced that its 12000 Series routers have generated more than $10 billion in sales. For starters, that means Cisco has sold more than 35,000 12000 Series routers over the last decade, but it also points to something else, analysts say: Cisco knows how to design for longevity.

"The large dollar volume is significant, because it plays to the longevity and flexibility of the platform to adapt to a myriad of IP edge and core applications that have evolved over the past decade," said Glen Hunt, a principal analyst for carrier infrastructure with consultancy Current Analysis. "It shows that [Cisco's] IP NGN portfolio, composed of the CRS-1, the 7600, the 10000 and the 12000 series, has demonstrated the long lifespan required to meet service provider infrastructure requirements. The 12000 and the Catalyst-based 7600 have already experienced a long runway and are still evolving and moving forward with the capabilities required to deliver on Cisco's IP NGN vision."

Hunt thinks the 12000 Series still has plenty of gas in its tank, too. "With recent enhancements such as the XR 12000 model, which brings the modularity and high availability features of IOS XR to the edge, and the addition of new processing blades to support more of an edge routing role as evidenced by the inclusion of more edge functionality such as session border control, Cisco continues to evolve the 12000 series to meet new and challenging edge requirements," he said.

And as Cisco continues to enhance and extend the 12000 Series, service providers can redeploy older 12000 Series hardware to support new applications, according to Hunt.

"The large installed base of 12000 series routers...provides service providers with the option to repurpose existing core platforms to perform advanced edge applications," he said.

On the other hand, Cisco's announcement also casts an uncomfortable light on the mounting complexity of the 12000 Series. Cisco's once-preeminent routing platform has evolved over time, Hunt conceded, such that support of multiple 12000 Series routers -- each purchased and deployed separately -- can be a confusing proposition.

"The depth and breadth of the various hardware modules can be confusing, and the XR 12000 may not support all of the legacy interfaces from previous generations," he pointed out. "For service providers to leverage new services through the more than 35,000 12000 Series routers currently deployed, they will need to upgrade to the XR 12000. Service providers will first need to make sure that the upgrade is possible for their specific vintage of router hardware and interfaces."

Going forward, Hunt thinks the 12000 Series will continue to be a strong competitor for Cisco.

"The continuing market momentum of the 12000 series indicates that it will remain a solid competitor for service provider edge applications," he concluded. --Stephen Swoyer