Aerohive Offers Wi-Fi LAN-As-A-Service

Wireless network vendor Aerohive, whose “hive” based Wi-Fi network uses distributed control instead of centralised controller appliances, has gone a step further and put the management software in the cloud.

Aerohive, which also announced a low-cost 802.11n business access point, is offering its wireless LAN management software as a service. HiveManager Online lets the user or a service provider manage the wireless LAN in an office from a web interface, with no management software installed on site.

If the web connection goes, the network will continue to operate, explained Matt Perry, technical director of Aerohive: ” We are moving the management online and into the cloud – there is no impact on the network itself.”

The system is aimed at small to mid-market companies, further reducing the barrier to having a managed wireless LAN on site, Perry explained. “Our distributed control lends itself to a cloud-based service.” Already, some Aerohive partners are using a variation of the service to support wireless LANs on non-technical customers’ sites, he said.

Customers buying a cloud-managed hive network pay the same amount for the access points, he said, but instead of buying hive management software, they pay an annual fee of £60 or £99 per access point, for the Express or Enterprise version of Hive Manager Online.

The cloud system should also be greener overall, as the user has to have no extra rackspace or cooling, Perry added.

The new HiveAP 120 is a dual-radio, dual-bane 802.11n acess point, certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, will have a UK street price of £526. Perry pointed out this is is less than that of the £654 802.11n APs launched by Aruba last month – even if the cost of HiveManager Online is included, and the extra cost of an Aruba wireless LAN controller is included.

The price of Aerohive’s existing APs has also been reduced by about 20 percent, with the introduction of the new low-cost 802.11n AP, Perry said.