Aerohive aims for flexible with new AP, switch and HiveManager lineup
Aerohive is snatching back the wireless limelight with the release of its 802.11ac Wave 2 access points, a new line of switches and a new release of HiveManager NG, all designed to provide adaptable Wi-Fi for the enterprise.
The releases, which come hard on the heels of Brocade's announcement that it is acquiring Aerohive competitor Ruckus Wireless in a US$1.2 billion deal, are expected to help garner Aerohive – and its resellers – more wins against big competitors such as Cisco.
David Flynn, Aerohive Networks chief executive, says the new switches, along with the new release of HiveManager NG and Wave 2 access points, gives customers the performance, flexibility and power of cloud management needed to adapt to evolving business needs.
"Mobility gives organisations the opportunity to transform how they serve their customers," Flynn notes.
"At the same time, new devices and demands often present challenges for network infrastructures.
Aerohive says its two new cloud managed 802.11ac Wave 2 access points help address escalating connectivity demands, while the switches, combined with the access points, complete unified wired and wireless cloud network management from a single pane of glass with improved visibility, centralised control and reduced cost and complexity.
The new access points, AP250 and AP245X, operate on existing standard wired infrastructure of 802.af PoE and feature integrated Bluetooth Low Energy. Both are built on Aerohive's RF-IQ technology, providing distributed control radio intelligence, such as automated channel and power selection, load balancing, band steering and other capabilities that enable complex radio functionality, Aerohive says.
The vendor says the APs maximise customers' ROI by allowing administrators to select transmission at 2.4GHz or 5GHz or to select dual 5GHz which, when integrated into the overall network design, can effectively double network capacity.
The four new cloud managed enterprise switches are available in a range of port densities from desktop to stacking-capable rack mount, and are managed through HiveManager, which is now architected for on-premises deployments of up to 20,000 access points.
