Cisco Systems has announced its Application-Oriented Networking (AON), offering technology that moves beyond the packet level to read application-to-application messages flowing within the network - such as purchase orders, investment transactions, or shipment approvals. “With AON, the network now speaks the language of applications,” Cisco said in its official announcement. “This new technology supports Cisco's vision for the Intelligent Information Network and is the first network-embedded intelligent message routing system that integrates application message-level communication, visibility, and security into the fabric of the network."

Cisco is working with a diverse array of partners in this initiative, including IBM, BEA, EDS, SAIC, Tibco Software, Verisign,: Actional, ConnecTerra, Contivo, CXO Systems, Infogain, ManTech, Trace Financial, and TransactTools. Several partners provided quotes with Cisco’s official announcement. But two of these companies, IBM and CXO Systems also felt compelled separately to point out the benefits accruing to Cisco from the announcement.

IBM’s Take
IBM noted that “a key component (of AON) is Cisco’s selection of the marketplace-leading messaging software, IBM WebSphere MQ. WebSphere MQ enables intelligent network-based data routing based on business rules.Together, Cisco and IBM are collaborating to enable certain WebSphere middleware services to be enhanced by Cisco-powered network devices. “

IBM’s official statement continues, “The Cisco/IBM collaboration will enable strong integration between the middleware and network infrastructure layers.  For customers, this will result in reduced complexity and total cost of ownership through further simplification of the IT infrastructure along with improved performance.”

Apparently concurring with this assessment, Taf Anthias, Cisco vice president and general manager, Application-Oriented Networking Business Unit, said, “Adding intelligent application message handling to the network enables applications and the network to work together as an integrated system. It makes sense for us to collaborate on this initiative with IBM, the application integration middleware marketplace and SOA leader.”

“Helping our customers extend their WebSphere-enabled applications, integration and business processes into the network is a logical evolution of our WebSphere strategy,” said Robert LeBlanc, general manager, WebSphere, IBM Software Group.  “Ensuring strong integration between IBM’s WebSphere software and Cisco’s AON infrastructure is logical and will enable both companies to serve its current and future customers better together than we can independently.”

CXO Systems’ Take
For its part, CXO Systems noted that it “is working with Cisco Systems, Inc. to integrate its visibility dashboard  for real-time business and risk intelligence in AON, (which is) the first network-embedded, intelligent message routing system that enables applications and the network to work together as an integrated system. The dashboards ensure that senior-level executives needing business and IT information have access to the most up-to-date data in the enterprise; ensuring critical decisions are made based on pinpoint accurate information.”

“We are excited to be working with the Cisco AON team,” said Malcolm Frank, CEO of CXO Systems. “Our collaborative efforts will help organizations decrease risk and ensure superior performance by ensuring senior managers, such as the Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Security Officer (CSO), and the Chief Risk Officer (CRO), are acting on real-time data.”

Cisco’s Final Take
Cisco’s announcement  also stated that since the strategy “takes advantage of the existing network footprint, and requires no changes to existing applications, Cisco AON technology also provides excellent investment protection. In addition, by reducing the need for custom software development and extensive systems integration, the Cisco AON solution reduces cost and complexity, speeds application deployment, improves change management, and facilitates regulatory compliance. “

The Cisco AON family will complement current Cisco packet and content-aware products by providing true application message-level awareness of business applications, the company said.