Cisco debuts high-end router

Cisco Systems Inc. last month unveiled a high-end router for carrier-class networks called the Carrier Routing System.

The new router will likely boost Cisco in the market for core routers, which form the backbone of the Internet and other large-scale networks.

Juniper Networks Inc. beat Cisco of San Jose, Calif., in December for the $150 million router portion of the Defense Department's Global Information Grid Bandwidth Expansion contract.

Analysts said at the time that Cisco didn't have the high-performance core routers to compete for carrier-class business such as GIG-BE.