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END-OF-LIFE NOTICE, NO. 678
INTRODUCTION
With the product introduction and release of the Catalyst® 3900 second-generation Token Ring Switch, Cisco Systems® has decided to discontinue the Catalyst 2600. This bulletin provides details on the Catalyst 2600's End of Life.
The Catalyst 2600 has been an OEM product from IBM. Continued development of the Catalyst 2600 has become unfeasible due to IBM's delayed delivery of feature enhancements and hardware stability of the 2600 platform.
END OF CATALYST 2600 ORDERABILITY AND PRODUCTION
Discontinuance of the 2600 will be announced externally on October 20, 1997. Product ordering for the Catalyst 2600 (product numbers WS-C2600, WS-2600-4R, and WS-2600-2RF) will be turned off by December 31, 1997.
The Catalyst 3900 is a direct replacement for the Catalyst 2600. It supports all the features of the Catalyst 2600 at a much lower price point. Customers should strongly consider the Catalyst 3900 for any open orders or new orders for the Catalyst 2600. The Catalyst 3900 provides the following advantages:
• Increased performance
• Increased functionality (bridging modes, filters, network management)
• Increased connectivity-20 Token Ring ports with the base configuration and expandable to 28 Token Ring ports, plus the ability to stack Catalyst 3900s to obtain an aggregate port count of 224 ports
• Support of ATM (future)
• Support of ISL (future)
• Lower price point
• Investment protection
Cisco is offering a Catalyst 2600-to-Catalyst 3900 trade-up program. For more information on the trade-up program, see Product Bulletin 668. The Catalyst 3900 in conjunction with the Catalyst 5000 Token Ring module are considered Cisco strategic offerings for Token Ring switching. Every effort should be made to convert existing customers to these products.