ARCwire - Cisco announced a new family of Cisco Industrial Ethernet 3000 Series Switches, specifically designed for factory automation, intelligent transportation systems, energy and utility substations, and other deployments in harsh environments. Based on open network and protocol standards, the Cisco Industrial Ethernet 3000 Series applies "Cisco's proven market leadership in Ethernet switching technology" to industrial Ethernet applications, with high security, performance, and advanced features optimized for rugged environments.
Cisco also announced the extension of its partnership with Rockwell Automation and that the two companies have collaborated on an industrial managed switch line. As part of Cisco's Ethernet to the Factory and the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture initiatives, the industrial managed switch product line is designed for factory automation. Together the two companies are driving toward helping companies effectively transition from legacy, multiple-network environments to a single, open-standard Ethernet network that integrates industrial production networks with the rest of the enterprise.