Cisco Catalyst IR8300 Rugged Series Router wins 2023 “Industrial IoT Innovation of the Year”

We’re honored to be named Industrial IoT Innovation of the Year in the 2023 IoT Breakthrough Awards for our Cisco Catalyst IR8300 Rugged Series Router. Designed to be deployed in mission-critical environments, the Catalyst IR8300 is purpose-built for secure, high-performance, reliable connectivity in industrial environments.

The Catalyst IR8300 Rugged​​ Series Router is a rack-mounted, ruggedized router that delivers 5G performance and unprecedented flexibility. It is much more than a new version of its predecessor, the Cisco 2010 Connected Grid Router, and combines enhanced scalability with cutting-edge security in order to meet modern routing needs. The Catalyst IR8300 Rugged Series melds what previously required several independent appliances and levels of rack space into one 19-inch appliance for space-constrained environments. It is the first modular industrial router that combines full-featured routing, switching, precision timing protocol, security, and edge compute into one purpose-built platform for mission-critical, high-throughput use cases that require high volumes of data.

All-in-one high-performance routing and switching

Built on the Cisco Unified Access Data Plane (UADP) application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and QuantumFlow Processor (QFP), which powers the industry-leading Cisco Catalyst products, the Catalyst IR8300 is designed to provide outstanding flexibility and adaptability to address the latest needs of network evolution.

The Catalyst IR8300 Series is ideal for secure, reliable connectivity in utility substations, roadside cabinets, oil pipelines, and anywhere ruggedized high performance is needed. It has been designed with a high level of modularity to help ensure future flexibility and scalability. Along with enhanced enterprise-grade security, the routers support simplified management using SD-WAN and Cisco DNA Center and offer edge compute capabilities to reduce latency and improve resiliency. The Catalyst IR8300 supports the U.S. public safety FirstNet network and new 5G services, and it’s built with multilayer security and edge intelligence capabilities. It has been extensively tested to meet challenging substation compliance standards, including IEEE 1613 and IEC 61850-3—making it a safe and reliable choice for use in high-voltage environments.

Breakthrough features of the Catalyst IR8300

More secure

The Catalyst IR8300 was built with security at top of mind. The cybersecurity capabilities of this device help to achieve regulatory compliance with asset visibility and information, in addition to SD-WAN. The router’s integrated security platform supports Cisco Cyber Vision, zone-based firewall, and NAC (network access control) and NBAR (Network Based Application Recognition) capabilities from a single routing platform. The device is rooted in Cisco’s trusted security platforms, as security is not simply just about the data passing through, but the security of the hardware as well. Read more about Cisco Trusted Platforms.

Meet substation needs of today and tomorrow

The Catalyst IR8300 router meets the demands of the growing number of connected devices in modern substations by offering increased secure throughput (2 Gbps) at exponentially higher encryption speeds than those of its predecessor. It delivers a twenty-fold IPsec throughput improvement over the 2010 Connected Grid Router, allowing customers to scale their networks for mission-critical tasks.

Do more with less space

As the first industrial-grade, fully integrated routing and switching platform, the Catalyst IR8300 has more functionality in fewer boxes, PTP timing, resiliency (PRP, HSR), and security (Cyber Vision Sensors), which together help to reduce rack space and heat and power requirements—making the solution more sustainable over time.

Modular router for a variety of use cases

The Catalyst IR8300 industrial router allows for increased flexibility in network architecture planning. With built-in and modular interface flexibility, the platforms are ready to serve high-speed cloud access use cases. There are several NIM/PIM modules including serial, T1/E1, and LTE/5G, as well as timing modules with precise stratum 3E oscillator with support for GNSS, SyncE, PTP, IRIG-B, and TOD. These modules provide customers with the ability to avoid costly rip-and-replace upgrades and to simply upgrade as connectivity needs and technologies evolve.

Learn more about the Industrial IoT Innovation of the Year, our award-winning Cisco Catalyst IR8300 Rugged Series Router.

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