Firetide makes OEM deal with Netgear for WLAN gear; Ruckus releases new 802.11n APs for enterprise

Mesh networking vendor Firetide this week announced a strategic alliance and OEM deal with Netgear, which calls for Netgear to license Firetide's WLAN controller software for use in the company's Pro-Safe 16-access point wireless management system.

Netgear is targeting small and medium enterprises and schools with 50 to 200 users with significantly lower cost 802.11n WiFi solutions. Ksenia Coffman, senior marketing manager with Firetide, said the WLAN controller costs about one-third of a controller used in a large enterprise. She noted the WLAN controller is ideally suited for IP video and voice applications, two services Netgear is keen on facilitating with its new Pro-Safe 16 product.

Meanwhile, Ruckus Wireless announced an enterprise-grade 802.11n AP priced at $500 for the single-band product and $600 for the dual-band product--setting a new aggressive pricing point for enterprise APs. The new ZoneFlex 7300 series incorporate Ruckus' patented smart antenna array and dynamic beamforming technology.

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