With protocols other than SNA, you had to go to a bridge mode. Testing the routers' speed on Ganymede communications testing software solidified the decision to go with Cisco routers. The tests specifically focused on the network activity performance, giving Sara Lee Knit Products a chance to actually see how the circuit appeared with any given number of concurrent users. Cisco routers enable network specialists to be creative and implement whatever products they think best, as they lay the groundwork for an open network. Network designers can mix and match to suit the needs of the company, providing flexibility and room for growth, which is both liberating and cost-effective.
Cisco supports every protocol.
Other applications run on Novell platforms with IPX protocol. We had a different phone circuit for each protocol. In addition to acquiring new Cisco routers, Sara Lee Knit Products is migrating from hubs to Cisco switches, a move that will speed the connection between two sites, according to Demarest. The CIP routes data in and out of the IBM mainframe, saving Sara Lee Knit Products the traditional, expensive method of using a proprietary IBM front-end processor. Cisco routers, switches, and CIP2 enable Sara Lee Knit Products to support applications with diverse protocols, consolidate lines, and speed data transmission between and within sites.