Bluesocket Unveils Enterprise-Class MIMO Router

Bluesocket said Tuesday that it has developed an enterprise-class wireless access point that uses Multiple Input, Multiple Ouput (MIMO) technology.

MIMO uses multiple antennas to increase both data rates and range and will be an intrinsic part of the forthcoming 802.11n standard. A draft of that standard has been approved by the IEEE, but final ratification isn't expected until later this year or early next.

Bluesocket said in a statement that its new BlueSecure Access Point 1700 increases range more than 30 percent compared to existing 802.11a/b/g products but is completely compatible with thos products.

A number of vendors, including Linksys, D-Link and Netgear, have released pre-standard MIMO products aimed at home users, but so far there have been few products using this technology for enterprises. Bluesocket said its access point simplifies enterprise deployment, supports 802.11e Quality of Service and can handle multiple SSIDs. It is designed to work closely with Bluesocket's enterprise-level wireless security products, such as the BlueSecure Controller, the company said.

Bluesocket is demonstrating its new enterprise access point at this week's Interop trade show in Las Vegas and said that it should be widely available in July. It provided no pricing information.