Cisco has unveiled a new appliance that aims to make it easier for enterprises to manage and roll out wireless networks while adding new features that make them safer and easier to manage.
Wireless networks within enterprises are on the rise, but companies often shy away from them because of the maintenance cost. The new Catalyst 3750g merges a company's wired and wireless network, allowing them to have uniform security settings across both while making them easier to maintain.
"Customers now see mobility as a service that they can turn on and off, not as something that they have to bolt on to the network afterwards," Alan Cohne, Cisco's Senior director of Mobility Solutions, said at Networkers 2006 in Las Vegas.
Wireless networks aren't merely an additional way for users to use laptop computers to access the corporate network. They also enable dual mode mobile phones that switch between the corporate Wi-Fi network when at work and a cellular network when on the user is on the road. Users thereby cut costs on phone bills and also can access corporate services through their handsets.
Cisco also released a new version 4 of its Unified Wireless Network software. Cisco claims that the application is the first in the industry to offer support for the forthcoming 802.11w standard, which has yet to be certified by the IEEE.
The software furthermore allows network managers to create temporary guest accounts, providing contractors or guests with access to the corporate wireless network for preset period of time. It also promises to better handle of voice communications and offers location services, allowing users to pinpoint the location of certain items that have been equipped with a wireless radio. This could be used for inventory control theft prevention.
The Catalyst 3750g is available starting Wednesday and starts at $20,500. The software is available immediately as a free upgrade through Cisco's existing support contracts.
