PowerCloud Systems Enhances Industry's Only Cloud-Based Wi-Fi Platform for SMBs

PALO ALTO, Calif., March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- PowerCloud™ Systems, creator of the world's first cloud-based management platform for networking OEM companies, today announces the latest release of its CloudCommand™ virtualized network controller platform.  The new release includes features and enhancements that deliver improved ease of use, manageability and security.  It demonstrates the ability of PowerCloud Systems and its cloud-based technology to rapidly aggregate user experience, respond to feature requests and seamlessly push a significant new release to an entire installed based of business users.

"CloudCommand delivers a suite of significant new features and usability enhancements that our partners' installed base of small- and medium-sized business (SMB) customers told us they wanted most," said Andrea Peiro, co-founder and vice president of product development and marketing.  "CloudCommand is designed for rapid innovation, and today's release reflects our continued commitment to deliver affordable, easy-to-use solutions that materially help SMBs and the IT solution providers that support them to succeed in their businesses, whether in hospitality, education, healthcare or retail."  

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) leverage the CloudCommand platform to quickly bring to market cloud-based networking products for SMBs that deliver business-grade features and consumer usability for a fraction of what traditional enterprise networking solutions cost.  The first commercial implementation of the platform is available in D-Link's DAP-2555 AirPremier Access Point Powered by CloudCommand and provides virtualized Wi-Fi controller capabilities.

"Thanks to CloudCommand, I installed a business-grade Wi-Fi network for a 144-room hotel in under an hour," said Sergey Mariniuk, president of FastLane Tek, a managed services provider (MSP) based in Santa Clara, Calif.  "CloudCommand's ease of use and remote-management capability enables me to control the hotel's Wi-Fi network from my office in another city.  The efficiency increases my productivity, which helps my bottom line.  The new features provide even more great tools for managing the network, and the updating process could not have been simpler."

CloudCommand:  Enhanced Benefits

CloudCommand's newest features enhance the product's three key platform benefits: ease of use, manageability and increased security.  

Ease of use

• Streamlined Interface Makes It Easier than Ever to Deploy and Manage Networks:  A streamlined interface with improved navigation and more comprehensive reporting tools makes network setup and management simpler and faster than ever.  Adding a new access point to a network now takes less than 3 minutes on average.    

Manageability

• Optional Access Point Autonomous Mode Delivers Continuous Coverage:  Optional autonomous mode transforms access points into independent devices, controllable via local user interface and not requiring a web service subscription (thereby preserving the hardware investment and ensuring local connectivity).
• VLAN Tagging Means Better Traffic Management and Security:  VLAN tagging (IEEE 802.1Q) enables both primary and guest networks to be individually tagged to direct traffic to specific VLANs for complete traffic segregation, filtering and bandwidth control.  
• Diagnostic Tool Delivers Improved Performance:  A connectivity status diagnostics tool enables access points to report detailed connection information to the CloudCommand virtualized network controller platform, greatly simplifying remote diagnostics and issue resolutions.  
• One-Click Firmware Update Increases Network Management Efficiency: Improved firmware updating now executes with a single mouse click, allowing all access points to automatically update.
• Active Power Management Boosts Performance: Transmission power management control enables adjusting the transmission power level of individual access points to minimize interference and maximize performance.

Security

• Device Isolation Gives Connected Users More Protection than Ever: Guest network client isolation now guarantees security and complete privacy for devices connecting to the Internet via the guest network.

About PowerCloud Systems

PowerCloud Systems delivers cloud-based software that OEMs integrate with their business networking products. The CloudCommand online platform makes networking equipment and resources dramatically easier to deploy, configure, secure and manage - all at a very low cost. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., PowerCloud Systems is a spin-out from PARC that is funded by PARC, Walden Venture Capital and Javelin Venture Partners.  For more information, visit www.powercloudsystems.com.

SOURCE PowerCloud Systems