Aerohive Delivers Breakthrough Simplicity and Cost for Enterprise-Class Wi-Fi

Oct. 27, 2009 - PRLog -- SANTA CLARA, CA-- Aerohive Networks, creators of the award-winning cooperative control wireless LAN (WLAN) architecture, today introduced HiveManager Online, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) enterprise Wi-Fi management solution that provides all the features and functionality of a behind-the-firewall wireless network management system (WNMS) without the installation, operation, and maintenance associated with a dedicated management server and at dramatically lower cost. The company also introduced the HiveAP 120, a cost-effective dual-radio 802.11n access point that provides a comprehensive enterprise feature set. Together, the new products establish a new enterprise-class 802.11n benchmark, providing a Wi-Fi solution that is the simplest, most reliable, most flexible, most scalable, and most cost-effective in the industry. Datasheets for the new products and more information are available at http://www.aerohive.com/products/overview.html.

"HiveManager Online set Aerohive apart from the other wireless LAN vendors we researched, providing us with high-performance 802.11n wireless and a full enterprise-class network management system with flexible, pay-as-you-go pricing," said Vince Wynn, information technology director, Killington Resort and the Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Conference Center. "Installing the Aerohive network was also remarkably fast and easy. There's no server or controller installation to worry about, and Aerohive's controller-less architecture eliminates complexity and any single points of failure. Most importantly, our hotel guests now enjoy free, fast, and reliable Wi-Fi connectivity with seamless roaming throughout their stay."

A demonstration system on the Aerohive website (www.aerohive.com) enables customers to try HiveManager Online and to build simulated wireless networks before buying. Configurations created with the system are easily moved to production networks. An included Web-based RF planning tool, which Aerohive is making available free of charge, enables enterprises to plan their Wi-Fi deployments and easily determine the number of access points they will require.

Benefits of SaaS-Delivered Wi-Fi Management With Cooperative Control

Aerohive's SaaS solution enables customers to avoid the up-front cost of a traditional WNMS, converting CAPEX to OPEX. HiveManager Online provides plug-and-play provisioning, eliminating configuration hassles. The solution eases network administration burdens with automatic upgrades and patches and enables network management from any Web browser, anywhere. Finally, the solution also supports companies' green data center initiatives, as it requires no rack space, power, or cooling. Pairing HiveManager Online with cooperative control access points that eliminate the need for wireless LAN controllers creates the simplest possible implementation of a modern Wi-Fi network -- one that requires only access points and the Cloud.

"SaaS network management with cooperative control HiveAPs provides enterprise-class Wi-Fi that is unmatched in ease of deployment, ease of management, and cost," said David Flynn, chief executive officer, Aerohive. "HiveManager Online and the HiveAP 120 enable every enterprise, even small ones with very modest budgets, to start small with enterprise features and central management and expand as business grows."

HiveManager Solutions

The HiveManager Online is targeted at mid-market companies, resellers seeking to offer Wi-Fi management services, and larger enterprises interested in minimizing initial deployment cost and complexity while still maintaining seamless upgrade paths to full enterprise deployments. HiveManager Online is part of Aerohive's HiveManager WNMS family, which now includes:

--  HiveManager Online
--  HiveManager VMware virtual appliance
--  HiveManager 1U hardware appliance, which supports up to 500 access
   points
--  HiveManager 2U hardware appliance, which provides redundancy and
   supports up to 5,000 access points
   

All of the HiveManager platforms, including the HiveManager Online, support two modes of operation. "Express Mode" provides a simplified workflow with full functionality. "Enterprise Mode" delivers complete configuration flexibility for complex enterprise deployments. A seamless upgrade path from Express Mode to Enterprise Mode and between all four HiveManager products enables Aerohive enterprise wireless LAN solutions to grow along with their customers.

HiveAP 120

The new HiveAP 120 is a 2x2 MIMO 802.11n access point featuring dual concurrent 2.4 and 5 Ghz radios. The HiveAP 120 delivers the same HiveOS software features as the high-performance HiveAP 300 series and also uses a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip for hardware-based key storage and encryption, ensuring security even if an access point is stolen. The HiveAP 120 has Gigabit Ethernet connectivity and operates using standard 802.3af power-over-Ethernet (PoE). A single multi-color LED indicates device status. The HiveAP 120's enterprise feature set includes identity-based security, automatic RF management, secure fast roaming, mesh networking, dynamic mesh failover for high availability, airtime scheduling, SLA compliance, and IPSec VPN.

Finally, Aerohive also announced that it has reduced the price of its high-performance 3x3 MIMO HiveAP 300 series (HiveAP 320/340) to $999 and introduced a limited lifetime warranty for its HiveAP 20, HiveAP 120, and HiveAP 300 series products.

Pricing and Availability

HiveManager Online Enterprise Mode is available now and is priced at $110 / HiveAP / year, including software support. HiveManager Online Express Mode will be available in early November and will be priced at $60 / HiveAP / year, including software support. The HiveAP 120 will be available in early November and will be priced at $689, with no additional feature licensing or controller costs.

About Aerohive Networks

Aerohive unleashes the potential of enterprise Wi-Fi, enabling customers to stop buying copper, to move applications to the air, and to maximize workforce productivity. The company's award-winning cooperative control architecture eliminates costly controllers, saving money and providing unprecedented resiliency, up to 10X better application performance, and an opportunity to start small and expand without limitations. Aerohive was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. The company's investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Northern Light Venture Capital. For more information, please visit www.aerohive.com or call 408-988-9918.