Higher Education Rushes to Smarter 802.11n Technology as Price, Performance and Stability Come in Line With Expectations

Wi-Fi Breakthroughs that Make 802.11n Faster, Reliable, Affordable and Easier to Deploy Help Universities and Colleges Overcome Major Obstacles to Campus-Wide Adoption

SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 8 /PRNewswire/ — Ruckus Wireless(TM) today announced that it has been selected by 24 different higher education institutions around the world over the last 90 days to supply state-of-the-art Smart wireless LAN (WLAN) systems based on the emerging 802.11n high-speed wireless standard.

These universities include: Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Virginia at Wise, the Universite de Lausanne (Switzerland), Benedict College, Carleton University, Emmanuel College, the University of Toronto, Lake Superior State University, Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnologia (Costa Rica), the Royal College of Music (UK), Tyndale University, Drew University, Minot State University, Covenant College, Universitas Padjadjaran (Indonesia), TATI University College (Malaysia), Universiti Kebangsaan (Malaysia), the University of West Indies, Anna University Coimbatore (India), Academy of Maritime Education and Training, Chennai (India), Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai (India), University of Hyderabad (India), Lovely Professional Uni, Jallandhar (India).

The migration to higher speed 802.11n Wi-Fi by these colleges and universities reflects Ruckus’ unique advances in Wi-Fi technology that make 802.11n faster, more reliable and easier to deploy – overcoming three major obstacles that have inhibited the deployment of the technology.

And to help universities and colleges overcome the high cost of 802.11n migration, Ruckus Wireless has introduced new educational packages that include 802.11n matching donations that deliver one free access point with every one purchased, as well as fixed-priced promotional bundles that offer 802.11n at a fraction of the cost of industry alternatives.

“We’re seeing growing demand among higher education for smarter wireless LAN systems that meet the performance promises of 802.11n but without all the cost and complexity,” said Selina Lo, president and CEO of Ruckus Wireless. “Once the barriers of entry are eliminated, the growth potential for 802.11n in this market is huge. We’ve now broken down those barriers.”

Lo noted that 802.11n is particularly interesting to the higher education market as IP-based video becomes more important. Colleges and universities are looking to use 802.11n for a variety of applications from video surveillance to remote learning. “IP video is one of the fastest growing applications within the higher ed market and our dual-band 802.11n system is uniquely addressing this need. Last quarter, sales of our 802.11n access points represented approximately 50 percent of our wireless LAN revenue worldwide – up from less than three percent a year earlier.”

Unified Indoor/Outdoor 802.11n Saves Benedict College

Benedict College is among a growing number of universities making the move to 802.11n. Benedict is currently deploying over 160 dual-band 802.11n Smart Wi-Fi access points, both indoor and outdoor, to cover their 100-acre campus in Columbia, South Carolina (see separate release).

“The move to 802.11n is something we’ve been chomping at the bit to do,” said Darrell Black, chief information officer at Benedict College. “Wireless has become the preferred way for users to connect all kinds of new devices to the network. However, cost, speed, stability and complexity of 802.11n have made it difficult to implement on such a large scale. This is finally changing.”

Out with the Old, In with the New at University of Toronto

Like many universities, replacing legacy Wi-Fi gear is problematic. “We wanted to move to 802.11n but needed some way to recoup our existing wireless investment,” said Maxim Batourine, manager of IT services at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Architecture. “Ruckus offered a unique swap up program that allowed us to trade in our existing Trapeze 802.11g network with a much more efficient and cost-effective dual-band 802.11n infrastructure from Ruckus – allowing us to protect our existing investment.”

According to the University of Toronto, dropped connections, spotty coverage and unpredictable performance were the compelling factors driving the move to smarter and more reliable Wi-Fi technology.

Higher Ed Wi-Fi Programs Help Ease Migration Woes

To assist universities and colleges in their wireless migration to 802.11n, Ruckus Wireless is offering two special programs: 802.11n matching donations and fixed-price 802.11n bundles.

Under the matching donation program, Ruckus Wireless is offering one free Ruckus ZoneFlex 802.11n AP (single-band ZoneFlex 7942, dual-band ZoneFlex 7962 or outdoor ZoneFlex 7942-OT models) for every AP purchased. Available through September, the 802.11n matching donation program requires at least 20 APs to be purchased and the requisite number of ZoneDirector controllers with three years of Ruckus Premium Support.

The Ruckus fixed-priced bundles now deliver customers unmatched value with six options from which to choose and up to 50 percent off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). Smart Wireless LAN bundles provide the latest dual-band 802.11n system with two, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 250 AP options (limit one bundle per educational institution).

Patented by Ruckus Wireless, Smart Wi-Fi is the latest Wi-Fi innovation developed to extend the range and reliability of Wi-Fi. This is achieved through an advanced smart antenna array that automatically forms and directs Wi-Fi signals toward the intended client and away from interference without IT administrators having to do anything. In addition, Smart/OS software integrated into Smart WLAN controllers provide extra value, such as allowing Smart APs to be meshed without Ethernet cabling, further reducing capital and operational expense and easing deployment problems.

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    Ruckus Wireless
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SOURCE Ruckus Wireless