Cisco Sets Wireless In 'Motion' With New Mobility Appliance

Cisco has built four software modules for MSE, with plans to develop more itself and add others from third-party ISVs. The first module, scheduled for availability in June, is Cisco Context-Aware Software, which was co-developed with AeroScout. It uses the WLAN to pull data from sensors, mobile devices and RFID tags to track the location of hardware, medical equipment and other assets.

Cisco already offers the 2700 Series Wireless Location Appliance, but MSE can now provide improved functionality, Gibson said. MSE measures the timing of when a signal leaves a tag to when it hits an access point, giving more accurate location information and improved performance vs. measuring radio signal strength and using triangulation, the method utilized by the Wireless Location Appliance, he said. "We would recommend migrating to MSE. It opens a lot of adjacent applications and market opportunities that the 2700 wasn't able to address," Gibson said.

Two other modules, Cisco Adaptive Wireless Intrusion Prevention System and Cisco Mobile Intelligent Roaming Solution, are scheduled to ship in the second half of 2008. The former integrates wireless threat detection, mitigation, vulnerability scanning and performance monitoring into the wireless network, while the latter, built in collaboration with Agito, enables dual-mode phone users to jump seamlessly between Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

A fourth module, Cisco Secure Client Manager Software, provides central management for 802.1x security solutions and is scheduled to ship in the first half of 2009.

Cisco MSE is priced starting at $19,995 and is scheduled to ship in June.

On the channel front, Cisco's Partner Motion program aims to support solution providers in building successful mobility practices. It incorporates sales tools and financial rewards such as Cisco's Value Incentive Program rebate initiative to encourage channel partners to migrate their customer bases to the latest wireless technologies, including 802.11n. "Early interest and early shipments [of products based on the draft version of 802.11n] have exceeded our expectations," Gibson said.

Cisco also wants its partners to integrate wireless technology with mobility services, such as those incorporated in the MSE launch, and add applications for vertical customers in areas such as healthcare, retail, education and government.

Only solution providers that have earned a Cisco wireless specialization can sell MSE, Gibson said.