Earlier this week, Cisco released a new router and services designed to deliver branch-office network services that are similar to those available in the main office. The 1681 series Integrated Services Router features a voice gateway, call processing, voicemail support, an automated attendant, conferencing, transcoding , 100BASE-T PoE ports for IP phones or wireless access points, and optional security features.

The 1681 is best suited for small and medium sized businesses and will support both VoIP and conventional telephony services, as well as data services. The new router features a single HWIC slot for feature set expansion, and can take optional firewall, SSL, IPS and VPN expansions.

The platform is designed to deliver robust voice, video and data services within the branch office and across the corporate network. The 1681 supports SNMP v3 and Voice and Video-enabled VPN to provide QoS when both voice and video are being delivered. The 1681 also offers power failover capabilities designed to provide uninterrupted phone service in the event of a power failure. When power is lost, FXO PSTN trunks are directly connected to FXS analog ports, providing direct connectivity to the PSTN for incoming and outgoing calls.

The 1681 supports customized Music-on-hold announcements via a dedicated 3.5-mm mini-jack to record announcements, and also accepts pre-recorded .wav files.

The 1681 is available as a desktop or wall-mounted device and comes with an optional 19"-standard rack-mount kit.