2/27/2006 -- Cisco Systems Inc. last week announced the ME 6500 Series, a new entry in its Metro Ethernet product stack designed to target the needs of service providers looking to deploy carrier Ethernet services such as VPN and triple play.

The ME 6500 Series supports IPv6, multicast and MPLS, and consists of two launch models -- one optimized for GbE and the other for 10/100/1000Mbps downlinks, although both have multiple GbE uplinks. Also last week, Cisco extended its reach in the metro optical space with the announcement of an ONS-15310-MA deliverable that supports Ethernet service delivery over SONET.

Analysts like what they see in the first ME 6500 launch models.

"[They] extend ... the Cisco product portfolio to address emerging triple play and VPN business services with a full set of features and a highly competitive price beginning at $24,000 per unit," writes Glen Hunt, a senior analyst for carrier infrastructure with consultancy Current Analysis. "The ME 6500 complements Cisco's ME 3400 that launched in October 2005 and was designed to support Ethernet to the home and to deliver business VPN services."

Hunt says the time is right for a cost-effective, scalable deliverable such as the ME 6500. "Service providers are leveraging Ethernet technologies to enable them to roll out advanced IP services that address the needs of emerging triple play and IPTV service offerings. Service providers need to have an end-to-end solution that can scale, is cost-optimized for the access layer and is capable of being efficiently managed to enable the service provider to deliver profitable Ethernet service such as corporate VPNs and residential triple play."

The real highlight of Cisco's ME 6500 announcement is the new ME 6524, which ships in two fixed-configuration models. "It extends the reach of Cisco's existing solution further into the network edge with features such as MPLS, IPv6, multicast and simplified provisioning. The fixed-form factor platform significantly reduces the CapEx associated with earlier solutions that required more costly routers," Hunt writes, citing, in particular, the Cisco 7600. "The launch also provides a cost optimized edge platform that reduces the CapEx for the solution without a corresponding reduction in features and capabilities. With the GbE uplinks, the ME 6524 can be used in conjunction with the ONS 15454 to enhance the capabilities and costs associated with migration of broadband services across the SONET infrastructure."

There are competitive concerns, of course. The fixed-form factor ME 6500 does limit upgradeability or flexibility, especially with respect to legacy interfaces, Hunt notes. All the same, he says, the ME 6500 will almost certainly be a disruptive force in the metro market. "Market impact will be high on the carrier Ethernet market since, with the new platform, Cisco can address several key issues such as an improved ability to offer a full-featured cost-effective solution for the edge of the service provider network where previously the more expensive Cisco 7600 would have been deployed," he concludes. "Cisco can now offer a solution with MPLS, QoS, multicast and IPv6 features in the Ethernet access and aggregation network based on a next-generation platform, which claims to be significantly less expensive than competitive solutions." -Stephen Swoyer