Cisco has announced the introduction of new modular Catalyst switches, Cisco Catalyst 6500 Virtual Switching System (VSS) 1440 and Cisco Catalyst 4500 E-Series, to help companies take full advantage of real-time communication and collaboration capabilities to meet business demands and simplify operational management.

Speaking at the launch, Walt Blomquist, senior director, Marketing, Internet Systems Business Unit, Cisco, "With this launch, Campus Communications Fabric brings in new attributes such as virtualisation, non-stop communications, operational manageability and unified network services, as business-critical network applications become increasingly interactive and traffic patterns become less predictable."

The Cisco Campus Communications Fabric is a framework wherein products and features work together to provide consistent services and policies, anywhere, anytime, and irrespective of connection type. It covers six areas: application intelligence, unified network services, integrated security, virtualisation, non-stop communications, and operational manageability.

According to the release, the Catalyst 6500 Virtual Switching System (VSS) 1440 provides network system virtualisation - the ability for two switches to act as one switch - providing seamless high-availability, enhanced scalability, and a single switch image to manage.

The Cisco Catalyst 4500 E-Series is a next generation extension of the Catalyst 4500 Series. It is a mid-range modular switch for enterprise, small and medium-sized business (SMB) and service provider customers.