Wifi Revolution

For a number of big organizations, the race to upgrade to 802.11n technology can’t come fast enough. But a number of small- to medium-size businesses might be held back from the latest technology due to budget constraints.  

 

That’s why networking giant Cisco (News - Alert) has launched a new “802.11n Acceleration Kit” and accompanying Web site, which went live at noon on Monday.

 

With the ratification of 802.11n, the kit eases transition by simplifying the adoption of .11n, according to Cisco, which has worked with more than 6,000 customers to get up to speed. The acceleration kit identifies and addresses the remaining inhibitors to 802.11n adoption: total cost of ownership, lack of expertise and network readiness.

 

“The standard’s ratification was the trigger that signaled the fall of the greatest barrier to 802.11n adoption for many of our customers,” Chris Kozup (News - Alert), senior manager of mobility solutions for Cisco, told TMCnet. “With the risk of uncertainty removed, the last standing barrier to 802.11n adoption was total cost of ownership.”

 

The new kit includes an Aironet 1140 Series Access Point (News - Alert) for small to medium businesses that can operate autonomously, without the need for a wireless controller. It’s also available for a discounted $995 which may be purchased through a three-month, interest-free payment deferral.

 

As part of the kit, Cisco is offering its “802.11n Migration” and “802.11n Readiness Assessment” services to lower the IT resources needed, as well as the option to trade in Cisco Aironet 1000, 1120, 1200 and 1232 Series access points or competitive wireless products for a credit of up to 25 percent toward the purchase of the Cisco 1140 and 1250 Series access points.

 

Businesses that are looking to take advantage of wireless for their mission-critical environments and want to support bandwidth-intensive applications, as well as a high density of mobile users, will benefit the most from Cisco’s 802.11n solution, Kozup told TMCnet.

 

“Cisco’s 802.11n acceleration kit is flexible and can be used by any small, medium or large enterprise as it includes great discounts for both the standalone and controller based access point platforms,” Kozup said. “The kit is applicable to all industries, including education, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, government and financial services, that want to take advantage of this new technology.”