Cisco entering the XML hardware processing market

As I have discussed in this blog previously, I believe that there in an inexorable move towards XML processing in hardware that can only be offset by the potential improvements to the processing capabilities vs. cost of the general CPU. Even if Moore's law continues, which some such as Herb Sutter are beginning to doubt, the market is going to be so huge for XML and SOAP processing combined with the still emerging web service standards, that there will always be room for specialized processing. XML digital signatures, for example, are ripe for a hardware based solution since it is process intensive. It is significant then that Cisco has decided to enter the XML messaging market and although they are behind in terms of development compared to DataPower, I am sure that they will eventually close the gap. Of course this has ramifications for all companies that are involved in creating XML messaging platforms.