FierceWirelessFierceWirelessEuropeFierceDeveloperFierceMobileContentFierceBroadbandWirelessFierceEnterpriseCommunicationsFierceIPTVFierceTelecomFierceOnlineVideoFierceCable

Firetide Launches an Aggressive Campaign Targeting WLAN for Education

Tools

Posted April 24, 2011

Brings video expertise and straight-up pricing to the market

LOS GATOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Firetide, a leading provider of wireless infrastructure mesh and broadband access solutions, announced today an aggressive campaign targeting education wireless LAN (WLAN) market. Firetide’s MIMO and non-MIMO access points (APs) and WLAN controller bundles are now available at significant discounts to North America based educational institutions, where the need for multimedia-capable WLAN is especially urgent.

“It is not surprising to see Firetide enter the enterprise WLAN market with an aggressive push,” said Rohit Mehra, Director of Enterprise Communications Infrastructure at IDC. “Performance, scalability, security and ease of use are key requirements in the enterprise WLAN space. Firetide’s track record in infrastructure mesh, with its emphasis on real-time video streaming, will make the company a contender to watch especially in key vertical segments of the WLAN market.”

“Firetide’s Wi-Fi access solutions have long been a staple of our outdoor deployments for government and commercial verticals,” said Bo Larsson, CEO of Firetide. “We are now bringing the same level of performance and security to indoor WLANs, targeting the education sector where we can meet the need for cost-effective and easy to maintain solutions.”

Multimedia-optimized WLAN

Along with performance and security, Firetide also brings its core video expertise to the WLAN market. Having established market leadership in wireless infrastructure mesh for video surveillance in the Americas (according to IMS Research), Firetide now set its sight on the education market where multi-media streaming and video conferencing for distance learning are key requirements. Application-based quality of service and traffic shaping algorithms that Firetide implemented for its infrastructure mesh now drive video performance across WLAN.

No-hassle pricing and no feature licensing

With the aim of establishing a foothold in the WLAN market, Firetide implemented a surprisingly radical (given the practices in the space) pricing for its WLAN controller and AP scaling. Management of up to 50 APs are included in the controller price, with no per-AP licensing. Many features that WLAN vendors often charge for are also included, among them intrusion detection, policy management and location estimation. Each of these features typically run anywhere between $100 to $300 per feature.

North America education discount: 25% to 50%

The program announced today offers an attractive price point to educational institutions in North America with discount pricing available through June 30th, 2011.

Firetide offers a 25% discount on 802.11n MIMO indoor APs bundled with a WLAN controller capable of managing up to 50 access points. Even more aggressive pricing is offered on 802.11a/b/g indoor access points, with 50% discount off list price for the overall bundle. Bundles range from five APs to 20 APs; each bundle includes a WLAN controller.

To take advantage of this limited time offer or to test drive a Firetide WLAN, contact a Firetide authorized partner or email partners@firetide.com.

About Firetide Inc.

Firetide is the leading provider of wireless infrastructure mesh networks that enable concurrent video, voice, and data for government, transportation and commercial applications. Firetide provides reliable high performance wireless infrastructure mesh and access solutions for video surveillance, Internet access, public safety networks and temporary networks wherever rapid deployment, mobility and ease of installation are required. Headquartered in Los Gatos, Calif. with offices in Asia Pacific, Firetide is a privately held company with worldwide product distribution. http://www.firetide.com



CONTACT:

CLS Communications, Inc.
Scott Green, 1-650-679-9044
scottgreen@myastound.net

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  California

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:   Education  Other Education  Technology  Hardware  Internet  Networks  Telecommunications  Mobile/Wireless

MEDIA:


More stories about Video Surveillance   Videoconferencing   Enterprise Communications   Communications Infrastructure   Video Performance   Vertical Segments