Enterasys Drives Next-Generation Mobility, Wi-Fi and BYOD Innovation with IdentiFiTM

ANDOVER, Mass., Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterasys Networks, a Siemens Enterprise Communications Company, today announced the next generation in Wi-Fi innovation, Enterasys IdentiFi. Part of an integrated wired and wireless OneFabric^TM Edge architecture, Enterasys IdentiFi is a new Wi-Fi solution encompassing access points, controllers and management software. IdentiFi addresses all critical industry requirements, including scalability, visibility, security, and application performance. IdentiFi enables organizations to manage and control the massive influx of wireless devices resulting from BYOD and enterprise mobility initiatives. IdentiFi provides an exceptional user experience in what is rapidly becoming the new normal – "hyper-dense" Wi-Fi environment. Through seamless integration with IdentiFi, Enterasys is the first vendor to demonstrate advanced real-time analytics for integrated wired and wireless networks with its Mobile IAM solution.

"Enterasys recently provided high-density Wi-Fi for Gillette stadium, helping us deliver a rich digital media experience to New England Patriots fans," said Fred Kirsch, Patriots VP of Content and Publishing.  "Because of our unique desire to provide access for tens of thousands of users, we needed a stable, scalable network that could be easily and centrally managed by our existing IT staff.  Enterasys met our demands with an end-to-end network solution that includes all the hardware, software, and wiring needed to provide reliable and stable Wi-Fi access.  Based on our extensive evaluation of other solutions in the market, Enterasys IdentiFi provided the density, scalability, and control we needed to provide a superior experience for our fans."  

Enterasys successfully delivered a large-scale Wi-Fi solution to 70,000 users at the New England Patriots' Gillette Stadium in 30 days.  The Patriots were seeking a solution to support their "hyper-dense" environment.  Thousands of fan-owned devices in a very small footprint required reliable, high-performance access to real-time multimedia streaming.  After a highly-competitive vendor-selection process, Enterasys IdentiFi was selected as the only viable solution.

"To deliver best in class mobility solutions, we at Enterasys believe experience matters," said Vala Afshar, Chief Marketing Officer & Chief Customer Officer, Enterasys Networks. "For more than a decade, our networking experience, including Wi-Fi, has enabled thousands of worldwide customers across all verticals to implement state of the art mobility solutions. To that end, we are delighted to be recognized as one of the fastest growing networking providers in the space. The IdentiFi solution will enable Enterasys to continue to outpace the industry, while delivering the best value and customer experience." 

Enterasys IdentiFi includes the following:

• IdentiFi 3700 Series Access Points: The all new IdentiFi 3700 series access points are purpose-built to meet the security, reliability, density, and availability required for the high on-demand traffic of mobile and BYOD users.  IdentiFi access points are easy to deploy, less costly than wired solutions, and deliver wired-like performance for an exceptional user experience. 
• IdentiFi Controllers: New physical and virtual controllers that provide high availability and capacity, as well as enterprise-grade wireless out-of-the-box. 
• IdentiFi Radar RF Management & Security:  New RF management, spectrum analysis, location awareness, and security features are built into the IdentiFi solution and included at no additional cost. 
• OneFabric Control Center: Provides centralized, policy-driven, single-pane of glass management for wired & wireless network.

Info-Tech (report: "Vendor Landscape: Wireless LAN") recently ranked Enterasys WLAN as a top Champion vendor in the market, with a "full feature set" that "gives you big bang for your buck." In addition, Dell'Oro (report: "WLAN Quarterly Report 2Q12") shows that Enterasys is the fastest growing Wi-Fi vendor in the category of providers who offer an integrated wired/wireless solution – achieving  36% year-over-year growth, outpacing both Cisco and Aruba.

Pricing and Availability

Enterasys IdentiFi is currently available.  Pricing starts at $595 for the entry-level 3705i access point.

Supporting Quotes
"Several significant challenges had to be overcome before we could successfully deploy and support a Wi-Fi network that would cover the over 8 million square feet of facility and the 50-60 locations throughout Michigan and Ohio.  Providing wireless access in some areas of our facilities has been difficult – some buildings include six-foot thick concrete and lead lined walls, an atrium with 80 foot ceilings and trees, as well as a historic building with mahogany walls that could not have visible access points.  In addition to these challenges, we require a pervasive Wi-Fi solution for mission-critical applications such as infusion and telemetry systems, EHR access at point of care, and clinical workflow support.  Enterasys helped us overcome these challenges with their IdentiFi wireless solution that is reliable, easy to deploy and allows us to use security and policy management easily and effectively." 
-       Doug McDonald, Manager, Wireless Network at Henry Ford Health Systems

"There are a handful of vendors in the world that produce worthy wireless products destined for the large, high user density environments with end to end security in mind and Enterasys is certainly a digit on that hand. Enterasys has been quite simply the most cost effective, comprehensive and logical infrastructure deployment we have ever experienced in the wireless arena and I would highly recommend it purely for its management capabilities if nothing else."
-       Urik Gharabeigi - Network Manager, Barking Dagenham College

"As a value-added distributor for Enterasys, Arrow is excited about the new wireless solution.  We see it as further proof that Enterasys is a global leader in wireless solutions. In addition to distributing the entire Enterasys product line, Arrow also has Enterasys Wi-Fi installed at our four offices throughout the United Kingdom.  The ease of use and density of Enterasys wireless makes it a very compelling solution in our overall portfolio."
-       Steve Pearce, managing director for the UK region for the enterprise computing solutions segment of Arrow Electronics

"With Wi-Fi increasingly becoming the primary access network in many organizations, enterprises want their mobile networks to rival the reliability and quality of experience of a wired Ethernet connection.  A Wi-Fi solution meeting these challenges today must provide a unified wired/wireless view into network management, along with robust support for BYOD.  Enterasys' IdentiFi announcement brings all of the required pieces together, enabling solutions that can scale to meet the needs of any organization."
-       Craig Mathias, a Principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group

"Wi-Fi has really evolved as a technology and is now viewed as mission-critical for most enterprises.  As such, Wi-Fi solutions need to accommodate flexible deployment scenarios, scale to provide high density access and yet, still be easy to use and manage.  Enterasys' IdentiFi meets all of these key criteria and is a compelling solution for organizations looking for a total Wi-Fi solution."
-       Bob Laliberte, senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group

Resources

• IdentiFi solutions brochure
• New England Patriots case study
• vBlog: Introducing Enterasys IdentiF ivideo
• Enterasys Social Media Newsroom
• Enterasys OneFabric
• Video: New England Patriots turn to Enterasys for stadium-wide Wi-Fi
• Webinar: New Requirements for Mission-Critical Wi-Fi

About Enterasys Networks and Siemens Enterprise Communications
Siemens Enterprise Communications is a leading global provider of unified communications (UC) solutions and network infrastructure for enterprises of all sizes. Leveraging 160 years of experience, we deliver innovation and quality to the world's most successful companies, backed by a world-class services portfolio which includes international multi-vendor managed and outsourcing capabilities. Our OpenScape communications solutions provide a seamless and efficient collaboration experience – on any device – which amplifies collective effort and dramatically improves business performance. Together, our global team of UC experts and service professionals set the standards for a rich communications experience that empowers teams to deliver better results.  Siemens Enterprise Communications is a joint venture of The Gores Group and Siemens AG, and includes Enterasys Networks, a provider of network infrastructure and security solutions, creating a complementary and complete enterprise communications solutions portfolio.

SOURCE Enterasys Networks