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smartBridges Adds Sputnik Management Software to Fixed Wireless Network Equipment; Network Service Providers Gain Affordable Web-Based Control

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 March 2006, 09:00 CST

smartBridges, a leading provider of standards-based outdoor fixed wireless networking equipment, and Sputnik, an innovator in Wi-Fi management software, today announced a joint offering that brings affordable, centralized management features to system integrators operating large wireless voice, video, and data networks around the world.

Wireless system providers using smartBridges network equipment in such disparate markets as municipalities, multi-tenant dwellings, rural environments, airports, marinas, and long-distance point-to-point communications will have, for the first time, a complete wireless network and subscriber management system. With smartBridges airPoint Nexus PRO and Sputnik Control Center(TM) software, a wireless broadband service provider can set and adjust options for access control, user authentication, and equipment settings over the Internet using a web browser. Sputnik's easy-to-use management software can be licensed for use in the provider's data center and is also available as a hosted service.

"Around the world, we see significant demand for software to manage wireless broadband networks. By partnering with Sputnik, smartBridges brings best-of-breed management software to our customers," said Nitish Amin, smartBridges Vice President, Marketing and Business Development. "We see a strong market for this joint offering in a variety of environments -- system integrators with residential, commercial, and rural networks all want to reduce the need for onsite technical service visits and improve network availability."

"This combined offering is ideal for smartBridges system integrators with large and fast-growing networks, especially those with networks in harsh climates and inaccessible locations," said David LaDuke, Sputnik CEO. "They gain flexible subscriber management and prompt, network-wide diagnosis and reporting that will keep operations running smoothly."

Equipment for High-End Wireless Networks

Key features have made the smartBridges equipment the premier choice for global system integrators. For example:

-- All-in-one radios with integrated antennas for quick and easy installation

-- Fully weatherized outdoor designs for harsh environments

-- 27 non-overlapping channels with RF interference mitigation

-- IEEE 802.11e compliant Quality of Service capability

-- Bandwidth control for upstream and downstream rates

-- Low cost solutions for residential subscribers

-- Advanced secure data communications using 128-bit AES and IEEE 802.11i compliant WPA2

-- NAT and Router functions that isolate residential customers' internal networks from the service provider's

Award-Winning Sputnik Heritage

Sputnik Control Center software enables service providers to manage wireless networks over the Internet from a secure web interface. They can remotely configure access points, create custom captive portal pages, set network policies, and generate reports. Sputnik software provides flexible subscriber management options, enabling prepaid cards, credit card and PayPal(R) account billing, RADIUS and Microsoft(R) Active Directory(TM) integration, and authentication of VoIP over Wi-Fi phones. Providers can block or throttle usage of specific protocols such as peer-to-peer file swapping, secure internal networks, and track bandwidth usage by user and location in real time.

Price and Delivery

Sputnik software will be featured in smartBridges booth at CeBIT, March 9-15 2006 in Hannover, Germany. The booth is in Convention Center Hall 13 Booth E12. Initial production shipments are available in April 2006.

About smartBridges (www.smartbridges.com)

smartBridges simplifies how people across the globe access information through carrier-class, easy-to-deploy and easy-to-maintain wireless connectivity products. smartBridges' intelligent, long-range and reliable wireless solutions are based on the award-winning Nexus platform. With offices in North America, Latin America, Europe, Japan, India and Singapore, this fast-growing company is a leading technology developer and manufacturer of outdoor wireless networking solutions for broadband Internet access and mission-critical industrial applications.

About Sputnik (www.sputnik.com)

Sputnik Inc. is a leading provider of software that allows wireless service providers to build Wi-Fi networks and manage them over the Internet. Sputnik's remote network and subscriber management features allow cost-effective operation in locations without onsite technical support. The company offers a family of wireless application modules and access points to support a variety of businesses, service providers, and educational institutions. The company is based in San Francisco.

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: Business Wire

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