Shedding Light On WANs

End users want high performance, low overhead and cost-effective networking infrastructures.

Solution providers, according to the VARBusiness 2006 State of the Market survey, see tremendous potential in wireless sales in the coming year. Put the two together and you get big opportunities for next-generation wireless WANs.

ClearMesh Networks is wading into the channel with an innovative new offering that achieves both goals: integrated wireless and optical mesh networking. The company's Metro Grid is changing the dynamics of wireless networking. Instead of conventional radio frequency as a carrier, it uses light, giving its wireless networks 300-Mbps capacity, far exceeding Wi-Fi and nearing the capacity of standard fiber-optic lines. ClearMesh claims its wireless transceiver--the ClearMesh 300--supports up to 2,250 simultaneous VoIP connections; typical Wi-Fi maxes out at around 35 calls.

"We send a beam of light, not a radio signal," says Fima Vaisman, senior vice president of marketing at ClearMesh in Pasadena, Calif. "The problem with RF is that there's so much signal congestion; it's hard to get your signal across."

The ClearMesh solution is designed for dense, urban campus environments. The optical transceivers can be deployed at college campuses, business parks, office complexes and, in some cases, residential areas. Nodes are typically installed on rooftops or light poles. Once the signal reaches the node, it's piped into the conventional building network through fiber, copper or 802.11 wireless.

"It's applicable anywhere you need a high amount of bandwidth--typically only available with fiber--when you don't have the time to trench fiber," Vaisman says.

Unlike RF, optical carriers require nodes to be in each other's line of sight. To compensate, ClearMesh designed the nodes to be deployed in threes; each node within a cluster is in constant contact with the others, ensuring a redundant connection.

ClearMesh has high hopes for its fledgling channel program. "The goal is to get the product out there," Vaisman says. "There are a lot of needs in campus environments, and there are a lot of business parks that need the high bandwidth."

Partnering with ClearMesh, though, does come at a price. Solution providers are required to make annual revenue commitments--typically $250,000, though that's negotiable. VARs also need to purchase demo kits, complete training and certification, and agree to work with channel managers on sales forecasting and reporting.

While this may seem like a high entry point, Vaisman says there are vast rewards. Each ClearMesh 300 sells for about $6,000, of which solution providers can reap a margin of 30 percent or more. They can also generate incremental revenue. The ClearMesh Metro Grid offers such opportunities as networking IP video cameras, expanding network capabilities at airports and linking government buildings.

In addition, ClearMesh's channel program, led by senior vice president of sales Hitendra Soni, offers volume discounts, co-op marketing funds, field sales, tech support and lead generation.