Cisco Delivers the Borderless Mobility Experience with Latest Wireless Innovation: CleanAir Technology

SAN JOSE, Calif, April 27, 2010 – Following key announcements of its Borderless Networks architecture in the areas of security,network access and network services, Cisco today announced new products and network and support services that accelerate the transition to the mobile workplace. Cisco’s Borderless Mobilitysolutions, including the new Cisco® Aironet® 3500 Series Access Points  with CleanAir technology, allow companies to deliver a seamless mobility experience by providing anywhere, anytime access to information.

As more employees go mobile, the wireless network must perform on a par with the most critical networks. In a recent Cisco survey of more than 600 U.S. companies, 78 percent considered all or part of their wireless network to be mission-critical to their business operations. Yet, the same group identified wireless interference as one of the top causes of wireless performance issues. With its new CleanAir technology, Cisco is the first to solve the challenge of wireless interference by combining a patented CleanAir Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) in the access point with system-level intelligence to detect, classify, locate and mitigate the impact of wireless interference.

An industry first, CleanAir technology is the only solution that can completely address the interference challenge of delivering business-critical applications over wireless networks.

Key Facts and Highlights:

  • CleanAir accurately detects, classifies and locates more than 20 unique interference sources including cordless phones, wireless video cameras, microwave ovens and Bluetooth devices while simultaneously serving client traffic. Key highlights include:
    • An intuitive Air Quality Index for a comprehensive assessment of the severity of interference affecting any given access point or specific location.
    • The ability to self-heal and self-optimize the wireless network by enhancing radio resource management to improve wireless reliability without IT intervention.
    • Interference correlation across multiple access points to prevent duplicate events from the same interference source.
    • A specialized CleanAir radio ASIC to provide detailed spectrum visibility without affecting the access point performance, unlike software-based solutions that rely on standard Wi-Fi chipsets.
  • CleanAir technology can reduce wireless troubleshooting time from hours to minutes and, in many cases, can automatically resolve problems. CleanAir’s integrated design can mitigate the impact of interference within 30 seconds by assessing the problem and adjusting the wireless signal to operate in an unaffected spectrum.
  • Independent testing showed that software-based solutions were limited and resulted in: 1) poor classification with only 25 percent accuracy, 2) mistaken identification with 15 percent of classifications being incorrect, and 3) missed detection with 25 percent of major interference sources never being detected. Unlike these software-based solutions, CleanAir’s advanced radio ASIC is designed to provide100 percent visibility into the spectrum with accurate analysis and diagnosis of Wi-Fi and non Wi-Fi interference issues.
  • By accurately locating interference sources visually represented on a floor plan, CleanAir lets businesses rapidly identify and remove interference sources.
  • The Cisco Aironet 3500 Series access points with CleanAir technology are the industry’s only access points providing hardware-based spectrum intelligence. The new 7.0 release of the Cisco Unified Wireless Network software integrates CleanAir capabilities across Cisco’s Wireless Control System, the 3300 Series Mobility Service Engine and all CiscoWireless Controllers.
  • Cisco is delivering additional new enhancements and features that allow businesses to better scale their wireless networks and lower operational costs:
    • Cisco is increasing the scale of the Cisco 5500 Wireless Controller with support for 500 access points (previously 250).
    • Cisco is expanding its 802.11n portfolio with the Cisco Aironet 1260 Series Access Points, delivering full 802.11n performance with standard Power over Ethernet for customer environments that do not require CleanAir.
    • Cisco is delivering a new limited lifetime warranty for Cisco Aironet 1140, 1250, 1260, and 3500 Series Access Points (both standalone and controller-based versions are covered).

Pricing and Availability:

  • The Cisco Aironet 3500 Series with CleanAir technology is scheduled to be available in May 2010. Pricing ranges from $1,095 to $1,495.
  • The Cisco Aironet 1260 Series (non-CleanAir), with external antennas, dual band and full 802.11n performance with standard Power over Ethernet, is scheduled to be available starting in May 2010 with prices starting at $995.

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