Cisco is targeting utilities and the oil and gas industry with its Catalyst IE9300 industrial switch that helps IT and OT automate network operations and bring zero trust security to operational spaces.

Schneider Electric and World Wide Technology (WWT) will use this to advance the smart grid to ensure energy availability, as enterprise-grade switching capabilities in industrial form factors are crucial to ensure substations are efficient and resilient.

“To truly modernise the power grid, utilities need to ensure their substations are efficient and resilient,” said Adam Nathan, utility and energy industry practice manager at WWT. “Developed with the robust needs of the industrial world in mind, including adhering to the stringent IEC 61850 networking standards, the new Cisco Catalyst IE9300 switch empowers utilities to accelerate substation modernisation with the agile connectivity needed to power a high-demand future.”

This expansion to Cisco’s Catalyst 9000 portfolio is based on Unified Access Data Plane (UADP) ASIC silicon, to bring more enterprise-grade switching capabilities to the industrial edge for industries operating in harsh environments and supporting critical infrastructure such as utilities, oil, gas, roadways and rail.

Operational connectivity in industrial spaces is growing exponentially as organisations seek to improve efficiencies, employee safety and business agility, and support hybrid work. As the operational world evolves, IT expertise is required to scale and secure the network as operational technology (OT) systems are brought onto the corporate networks.

According to Gartner: “Most CIOs have responsibility for OT systems decisions. Eighty-two per cent report their CIO responsibility for OT systems has increased in the last three years, and 89% say it will increase in the next three years.”

IT and OT are collaborating more than ever and need common tools to scale and secure the network. Automation, segmentation and capabilities to identify and resolve issues proactively become paramount for success. These capabilities are widely deployed in the enterprise, though are not as pervasive in industrial networks. Without enterprise-grade network infrastructure features, IT and OT resources are increasingly strained, putting deployments at risk.

There is a need to connect and secure the growing number of industrial devices. To bridge this gap, the new Catalyst Industrial Ethernet 9300 switch integrates enterprise capabilities with industrial protocols in a form factor built for rugged, industrial spaces.

“Our customers are taking on massive challenges like transitioning to cleaner power sources and enhancing electric grid reliability, and the critical nature of these environments demands a network infrastructure with enterprise-grade security, visibility and automation for scale,” said Vikas Butaney, general manager of Cisco IoT. “We’re empowering our customers to modernise their large-scale industrial environments and build an agile network, while protecting their assets from cyber threats.”

Based on Cisco’s UADP ASIC silicon, the IE9300 is said to be the highest density switch on the market. It provides enterprise-grade switching in a ruggedised form factor with visibility, security and edge compute. The switch is based on the Cisco IOS-XE operating system and managed by its DNA centre. It provides security through the Cisco Identity Services Engine, enabling users to leverage their IT knowledge and existing investments to modernise and secure industrial and outdoor networks.

Enhanced network scalability and reliability includes features such as the ability to stack up to eight switches and manage them as one, zero packet loss failure recovery, and high precision time synchronisation.

Users can improve efficiencies by identifying connected endpoints for asset inventory, automatically enforcing QoS policies via application traffic recognition, and proactively detecting and resolving issues with network health monitoring.

It assesses and strengthens the security posture of connected industrial assets and enables zero-trust security with the embedded Cisco Cyber Vision sensor and SD-Access fabric edge capability. It is said to be the first switch to enable zero-trust security in operational environments. 

“We’re delighted to see the Catalyst IE9300 switch come to market this year as it brings unprecedented performance and fibre scalability to electric grid networks, together with native cyber-security features,” said Jim Simonelli, CTO of Schneider Electric’s secure power division. “In combination with the APC by Schneider Electric uninterruptible power supplies, these technologies will elevate electric grid reliability to a new level.”