Extricom VoWLAN solutions - The Facts

Extricom Wi-Fi WLAN architecture is a 4th generation solution designed for Triple Play (Voice, Video, Data) environments.

Most traditional vendors supply 3rd generation solutions. Fourth generation solutions are designed for Triple Play environments. In a sector report research consultants Gartner commented:

Vendors usually supply second-generation , stand-alone access points and either third generation, centralized or fourth-generation, traffic-optimized architecture systems.

Third generation systems offload security and roaming at a minimum to a central controller, which is connected to the APs ...

Fourth-generation systems supplement this with software that controls access to the network by granting time slots for transmission vs. the client-controlled Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) mechanism of third-generation and earlier systems. .

Fourth-generation systems employ more sophisticated network access schemes to further improve voice quality and are most popular when voice is a mainst ream application.

Source: Gartner - Magic Quadrant for Wireless LAN Infrastructure

Gartner identified only two vendors of 4th generation WLAN infrastructure, Extricom and Meru. Meru has paid 2.4 million to Extricom to settle out of court a patent infringement claim.

The Extricom 4th generation WLAN solution is exclusive to Extricom the solution uses a patented single radio channel Channel Blanket technology

Meru and other vendors do not use this technology. Past Meru products may have used the Extricom technology but future Meru products wont use the technology. Meru has paid Extricom $2.4m to settle a patent infringement claim. Meru has stated that it will not use Extricoms technology in any future developments.

On April 13, 2012, the Company and Extricom Ltd. (Ex tricom) entered into a settlement, license and release agreement (the Extricom Agreement). As part of the Extricom Agreement, the Company paid Extricom $2.4 million in April 2012. the Company received from the Extricom Agreement: (1) release of past infringement claims and (2) a license to Extricom technology. The Company does not believe the Extricom license wi ll provide future value as the Company does not plan to utilize the underly ing technology in any future product development. Source: MERU NETWORKS INC FORM 10-Q (03/31/12 Quarterly Report)

White Paper

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An Extricom Wi-Fi infrastructure solution with its Channel Blanket technology is less time and cost expensive to deploy than solutions from traditional enterprise Wi-Fi vendors.

Because the solution uses a single radio channel Channel Blanket technology there is no co-channel interference and APs can be placed where they are needed. This reduces the need for intricate cell planning and time consuming installation and testing.

In a sample case an Extricom solution was 30% less costly to deploy and operate than a solution from a leading traditional cell-based WLAN vendor. When an Extricom solution is deployed:

Deployment costs can be 63% lower Capital costs can be 17% lower Source: Total Cost of Ownership of the Extricom WLAN White Paper

For the enterprise the Channel Blanket technology means:

Lower TCO Quicker deployment

For the installer the Channel Blanket solution wi th its deployment advantages translate into greater productivity and enhanced margin as a result of:

Less time on site doing complex surveys and installation set up More competitive TCO bids No call backs to fix co-channel interference issues arising from changes in the environment

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The Extricom solution eliminates AP-to-AP handoff, which ensures seamless mobility, continuity of security session, and optimal service delivery. It is the ideal solution for building WLAN infrastructure for converged voice (VoWLAN), data, and video, with the dependability and simplicity of a wired network.

A single radio channel Channel Blanket is used to provide the Wi-Fi coverage and co-channel interference is non-existent.

For the enterprise the Channel Blanket technology means: Robust voice solutions No call drop outs Long term voice performance stability

For the installer this translates into greater productivity and enhanced margin as a result of:

Less time on site doing complex surveys and installation set up No call backs to fix handover issues arising from changes in the environment

Case Study

http://bit.ly/XfZKwQ

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The Extricom solution with its Channel Blanket technology enables Voice, Video and Data to be provisioned over multiple Channel Blankets. The solution is one of the few, if not the only solution, available in the market which can deliver a robust Triple Play Services solution.

Triple play service is a marketing term for the provisioning of Voice Video and Data services, over a single network connection. In WLAN terms this means using the enterprise wireless network to support Wi-Fi handsets, data PCs and the multimedia capability of BYODs. The early generations of Wi-Fi infrastructure were developed for delay-tolerant data applications. Wi-Fi infrastructure using generation 3 or lower is not suited to video and voice and data.

The Extricom fourth generation Wi-Fi infrastructure solutions are the first generation of Wi-Fi infrastructure to truly manage Triple Play service provisioning.

The Fourth-generation systems employ more sophisticated network access schemes which improve voice quality and are most popular when voice is a mainstream application.

(Source: Gartner - Magic Quadrant for Wireless LAN Infrastructure).

For the enterprise the Channel Blanket technology means:

More secure data Robust voice solutions Easy BOYD policy implementation

For the installer this translates into greater productivity and enhanced margin as a result of:

Less time on site doing complex surveys and installation set up No call backs to fix co-channel interference issues arising from changes in the environment

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The Extricom solution allows a physical separation between BYOD, voice and data services. This enables it to support a robust BYOD policy where traditional infrastructure technologies struggle. The ability to enable multiple Channel Blankets from the infrastructure makes the solution unique in the the market.

Traditional Wi-Fi infrastructure technologies struggle to support the conflicting demands of the BYOD and corporate voice and data user.

BYOD users expect robust reliable multimedia capability. The enterprise expects maximum productivity from its voice and data applications and requires its network to be secure. To support BYOD the WLAN must support device density as well as deliver high bandwidth capacity to each device whilst not impacting the performance of the enterprise voice or data applications.

With a recent move to become an Academy and the additional freedoms available to further support the schools ambitions, a robust wireless LAN solution to enable the schools network team to implement a campus-wide BYOD strategy was considered an essential part of the schools aim to enable students to succeed both personally and academically, now and in the future.

Case Study

http://bit.ly/Q8qXjC

A combination of Linksys and DLink access points had led to constant RF network restructuring and the addition of a new building meant the existing solution simply didnt work and would certainly never be able to perform at the level required to deploy true BYOD practices and ultimately enhance student learning.

(Source: Case Study Haybridge High School and Sixth f orm).

For the enterprise the Channel Blanket technology means

More secure network Easy BOYD policy implementation

For the installer this translates into greater productivity and enhanced margin as a result of:

Less time on site doing complex surveys and installation set up More competitive bids No call backs to fix co-channel interference issues arising from changes in the environment

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An Extricom Wi-Fi infrastructure delivers hi-bandwidth connectivity around all parts of the Wi-Fi coverage area.

Traditional Wi-Fi infrastructure solutions are not able to deliver maximum rated connection speed around the whole Wi-Fi coverage area because of St icky client devices. When the access point is nearby, a Wi-Fi device will typically connect at its maximum rated speed. When it moves away from the AP, or connects to a distant AP the connection speed will be lower than the maximum rated speed. Because the Wi-Fi device makes the decision when to roam between access points it might stick to a relatively good AP. This edge effect reduces the performance of whole system.

In an Extricom Wi-Fi infrastructure solution it is the switch which makes the decision which AP the Wi-Fi device will connect with and will choose the AP which maximises the connection speed. Also, because the Channel Blanket facilitates a higher density of APs than traditional Wi-Fi infrastructures the users are always close to an AP and get a better signal meaning a faster transmit/receive connection and no edge users.

With the simultaneous demands of both the student body and the staff network, the original Cisco wireless solution installed during the rebuild was faltering. The 3rd generation cell-based technology was unable to cope with concurrent connections required to get a classroom of 30 users seamlessly connected to the network without considerable delay and performance reduction. And the constant re-arrangement of the flexible seating set-up in one of the teaching halls also meant that the wireless signal became continuously intermittent.

(Source: Case Study Caludon Castle School).

Video

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For the enterprise the centralised controller technology means.

Ability to provision all users equally Consistent high bandwidth service for all users Greater productivity as a result of always available access

For the installer this translates into greater productivity and enhanced margin as a result of:

No call backs to fix co-channel interference issues arising from changes in the environment

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The Extricom TrueReuse solution means that users can enjoy up to 10 times more bandwidth than is achievable with traditional infrastructure solutions.

A WLAN which uses traditional infrastructure technology shares the bandwidth among the number of users who are connected to it. As the number of users increase the available bandwidth for the individual user falls. TrueReuse increases capacity by permitting simultaneous transmissions on the same channel within the Channel Blanket. For more information check out the link.

For the enterprise TruReuse means:

Consistent high bandwidth service for all users Greater productivity as a result of always available access

For the installer this translates into enhanced sales as a result of:

Unique bid features

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Extricom infrastructure delivers 802.11n performance today and is 802.11ac capable with none of the inherent co-channel interference issues which will be more problematic in traditional WI-Fi infrastructure deployments of 802.11ac solutions.

802.11ac solutions will require more APs for a given area than current WI-Fi deployments. Traditional infrastructure Wi-Fi solutions will suffer from more co-channel interference. Although aimed at the consumer marker 802.11ac will migrate into the enterprise as a result of BYOD making it imperative that enterprise solutions are 802.11ac.

For the enterprise Extricom infrastructure means:

Future proofed solution

For the installer this translates into enhanced sales as a result of:

Unique bid features

Extricom Wi-Fi infrastructure uses a centralised 4th generation WLAN switch to coordinate media access for all of the connected APs and eliminate co-channel interference, which leads to higher performance and more stable operation under heavy load.

The 3rd-generation wireless networks also use centralised controllers but these do not control access to the network as Gartner explained,

Fourth-generation systems supplement this with software that controls access to the network by granting time slots for transmission vs. the client-controlled Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) mechanism of third-generation and earlier systems. .

Source: Gartner - Magic Quadrant for Wireless LAN Infrastructure

In the Extricom solution the centralised switch makes all of the decisions for packet delivery on the wireless network. The access points (APs) simply function as radios, with no software, storage capability, MAC or IP address.

Clients associate with the switch, not with the AP. The switch decides which AP a client should be connected to. The APs are "ultra-thin" with the entire media access control (MAC) layer at the switch. So, once a client is in contact with the WLAN, it never hands off to a different channel: when it moves within range of a different AP, the switch diverts the data connection to that AP, and the client device is none the wiser.

For the enterprise the Extricom centralised infrastructure means:

Seamless roaming

For the installer this means:

Denser and simpler deployment of access points

More freedom in selecting access point placement

No co-channel interference to manage