Cisco Picks up Where Starent Left off

From PC World: Cisco on Tuesday will show just how serious it is about mobile data with the introduction of its first product derived from its Starent acquisition, the ASR 5000.

The new platform for delivering mobile services, which is based on the Starent ST40, is being announced less than a week before the Mobile World Congress, one of the biggest wireless conventions in the world. Cisco will also use the conference to demonstrate the platform, which is available now.

As mobility becomes a key part of data services for enterprises and consumers, equipment providers are beefing up infrastructure for delivering mobile services consistently and profitably. Reaching a subscriber who may be moving or have a thin connection presents special challenges, as well as opportunities to target content to them. Cisco acquired Starent last year for about US$2.9 billion as part of its bid to lead in this area.

The ASR 5000 is a rebranded ST40 but also incorporates the Cisco Unified Reporting System, which brings together various pieces of information about subscribers and networks for easy access by administrators, said John Morgan, a senior manager of solutions marketing who joined Cisco from Starent. It's the first of many new elements that Cisco intends to incorporate into the platform over time, Morgan said.

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