The past year was slow for many networking technologies, but wireless LANs exploded onto the enterprise scene. Unfortunately for wire-savvy network managers, these appealing solutions come with a range of technical challenges, and deciding which product line makes the most sense for a specific organization can be tricky.
It's not surprising that Cisco Systems has dominated the enterprise wireless LAN market. After all, most large organizations use existing Cisco switches and routers, and Cisco's Aironet wireless LAN access points offer excellent performance, functionality and reliability.
But Symbol Technologies delivers much more with its Spectrum24 wireless LAN system. Not only does Symbol provide an enterprise-class access point complete with a functional network-management system and a range of antenna options, it also offers a full line of wireless NICs and a vast array of mobile computing devices with integrated WLAN capabilities.
With Symbol's Spectrum24, you get a soup-to-nuts solution. And you get to take advantage of a professional services organization that has more experience than any other vendor in the wireless industry.
Symbol Technologies, (800) 722-6234, (631) 738-2400. www.symbol.com
Categories: Mobile Device Management System | Wireless LAN Platform |
SOHO Wireless Gateway | Converged PDA/Cell Phone | Best New Wireless LAN Product | Wireless Infrastructure Management Tool | Mobile Device
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Mobile Device Management System
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WINNER: Afaria 4.51
As if managing network-attached computers isn't challenging enough, it's becoming increasingly important to develop strategies for managing the notebooks and PDAs mobile professionals use on the road. In an extremely competitive market, XcelleNet maintained its lead on the competition and captured another Well-Connected Award for Afaria.
Afaria version 4.51 delivers the total package you need from mobile device management. It manages the mobile devices, along with the applications and content that make the devices useful while also supporting the broad range of devices found in the enterprise. Afaria provides clients for Windows notebooks, Palm and Pocket PC PDAs, RIM Blackberry, and a Java-based client that delivers significant platform portability. Its configuration-management capabilities give administrators full control over mobile devices and support for push-oriented content distribution. And XcelleNet is the only vendor supporting pull-oriented content distribution. Afaria is pricey, but you'll appreciate its maturity and XcelleNet's ongoing commitment to added functionality and value.
XcelleNet, (800) 322-3366, (678) 585-7300. www.xcellenet.com
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Finalists:
• XTNDConnect Server 2.6, Extended Systems, (800) 235-7576, (208) 322-7800. www.extendedsystems.com
• iMobile Suite 4.0, Synchrologic, (888) 345-SYNC, (770) 754-5600. www.synchrologic.com
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Wireless LAN Platform
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WINNER: Spectrum24 product line
You might be surprised to find Symbol Technologies beating out Cisco for our Wireless LAN Platform award considering Cisco's Aironet access points dominate the enterprise WLAN market. But this award is for more than access points. If you're serious about deploying wireless LANs to support mobile applications, you want Symbol's broad range of WLAN solutions.
Symbol's Spectrum24 High Rate 4131 Access Point is the heart of its product line and it's is as good as anything we've used in our labs. Range is excellent, performance is solid and management capabilities are representative of Symbol's vast experience with WLAN systems. But the Spectrum24 goes way beyond an access point. Symbol offers a full range of wireless interface cards, including a solid PC-card and USB offerings, as well as the best Compact Flash wireless NIC on the market. And Symbol integrates Spectrum24 into a broad array of mobile devices used in factory floors, warehouses, retail environments and anywhere enhanced mobility drives increase productivity.
Symbol Technologies, (800) 722-6234, (631) 738-2400. www.symbol.com
Finalists:
• Orinoco, Agere Systems Orinoco Wireless Networks, (866) ORINOCO. www.orinocowireless.com
• Cisco Aironet 350 Series, Cisco Systems, (800) 553-6387, (408) 526-7208. www.cisco.com/ go/aironet
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SOHO Wireless Gateway
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WINNER: WaveBase
Open the Sunday paper and you'll find ads for wireless gateways at prices so low you have to wonder: How can they integrate an 802.11b access point, a 4-port 10/100 Ethernet switch, a NAT router, a DHCP server and a firewall into a single box? But your co-workers aren't wondering, they're buying -- and if they haven't come to you with questions about connecting to the corporate network, they will.
These products generally disappointed us when we had them in the labs last summer. Products locked up in testing, and some were delivered DOA. But one product -- the Nexland WaveBase -- broke the mold. It never failed to perform as expected, its hardware and software designs are excellent, and it offers security-oriented functionality that demonstrates the company's understanding of enterprise IT professionals' needs.
Nexland, (888) 639-5264, (305) 358-7771. www.nexland.com
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Finalists:
• CN100 Wireless LAN Router, Colubris Networks, (866) 241-8324, (450) 680-1661. www.colubris.com
• D-LinkAir DI-713P Wireless Broadband Router, D-Link, (800) 326-1688., (949) 788-0805. www.dlink.com
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Converged PDA/Cell Phone
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WINNER: Kyocera QCP 6035 Smartphone
We like the smart-phone concept. Why carry around both a PDA and a cell phone if you can have a single device that performs both functions? As appealing as the converged PDA/cell phone may be, it's likely to take a little more time to get the combination of features and functionality just right. But if you can't wait, the Kyocera QCP 6035 is the best of the current bunch. Although far from perfect, the QCP 6035 Kyocera provides the best phone functionality of any product we've tested. That's just simply not an area in which you can afford to compromise on functionality.
We're looking forward to the second generation of smart phones that will provide greater power and flexibility, improved displays, more powerful processors, better expandability and enhanced wireless capabilities. We'd love to see devices that provide both 802.11b and 2.5G wireless WAN support in a single platform. Those capabilities might be enough to really get some attention.
Kyocera Wireless Corp., (800) 349-4188, (972) 762-7000. www.kyocera-wireless.com
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Finalists:
• Treo 180, Handspring, (888) 565-9393, (858) 882-2000. www.handspring.com
• SPH-1300, Samsung Telecommunications America, (800) SAMSUNG, (650) 230-5000. www.samsungusa.com
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Best New Wireless LAN Product
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WINNER: Networker CompactFlash 802.11b NIC
When they arrive at the lab, new wireless LAN products get plenty of ooohs and aaahs from friends and colleagues -- but one gets the lion's share. Symbol's Wireless Networker CompactFlash network interface card is a genuine miracle of miniaturization and a Well-Connected winner.
No other compact-flash wireless NIC on the market comes with the design, performance and quality of Networker. It provides good performance and credibly preserves battery life in the CompactFlash socket of a Hewlett-Packard or Toshiba PocketPC PDA or a Handera PalmOS PDA. The software is solid, too, making it mandatory for power PDA users and the folks who support wireless LANs. If you use both a PDA and a notebook, you can plug the Symbol card into a $5 CF-PC-Card adapter and use it in your notebook computer. And because it comes from Symbol, you know the product will be well supported.
Symbol Technologies, (800) 722-6234, (631) 738-2400. www.symbol.com
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Finalists:
• Xircom SpringPort Wireless Ethernet Module, Intel Corp., (800) 538-3373, (503) 264-7354. www.intel.com
• Harmony 802.11a, Proxim, (800) 229-1630, (408) 731-2700. www.proxim.com
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Wireless Infrastructure Management Tool
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WINNER: NetMotion Mobility
Although wireless networking is hot, the tools needed to manage enterprise wireless networks have been slow to appear. Thankfully, that's changing. Tools from a number of vendors that meet many different needs are starting to pop up. And of the budding bunch, NetMotion Mobility is worthy of special recognition. If you're deploying mobile wireless applications, take a long hard look at this tool.
NetMotion Mobility solves key wireless management problems. It enhances the security of wireless networks by providing centralized authentication and encryption services. It solves mobility problems in IP environments by supporting seamless roaming across IP subnets. And it maintains session persistence for applications that require a constant connection to a server -- a huge benefit for many organizations.
NetMotion Wireless, (206) 691-5500. www.netmotionwireless.com
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Finalists:
• Wireless Network Management System, Symbol Technologies, (800) 722-6234, (631) 738-2400. www.symbol.com
• Wavelink Mobile Manager, Wavelink Corp., (888) 697 WAVE, (425) 823-0111. www.wavelink.com
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Mobile Device
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WINNER: HP Jornada 568 PDA
Mobility requires portability and quick access. You need instant-on functionality, a clear display and workable tools for data input and expansion interfaces to support add-on hardware. You also need a powerful OS. In short, you need an HP Jornada.
Powered by a capable ARM processor and Microsoft's Pocket PC OS, the Jornada delivers excellent performance and expandability. The display is razor sharp, and the clamshell design lets you carry it in your jacket pocket. The integrated Compact Flash slot provides expansion capabilities, and the removable battery lets you work on the road even if you haven't recharged in a while. The built-in applications make it useful on day one, and the underlying OS platform makes it compatible with third-party applications. If you're looking for a mobile data device today, you can't go wrong with the Jornada.
Hewlett-Packard Co., (800) 752-0900, (650) 857-1501. www.hp.com/jornada
Finalists:
• Palm i705 Handheld, Palm, (866) 328-9758, (408) 878-4000. www.palm.com
• RIM BlackBerry 957 Wireless Handheld, Research In Motion, (877) 255-2377, (519) 888-7465. www.blackberry.net
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