Aruba Targets Wi-Fi Market Low End

Wireless LANs have become quite common in businesses as well as among consumers. In an attempt to enhance its position in this volatile marketplace, Aruba Networks, one of the leading suppliers of business wireless LANs, introduced two high speed, low cost access points.The vendor unveiled the AP-92, which has an external antenna, and the AP-93, which has an internal antenna, access points. The products cost $399 and support 100M bps transmissions. The devices feature spectrum analysis, remote networking, and intrusion prevention features. They can be configured in stand alone or mesh networks, operating in supporting the 2.4GHz or 5GHz RF spectrum. To secure communications, the access points include a Trusted Platform Module that stores network credentials and cipher keys even if the access point is probed or stolen. Both access points work with the 802.3af power-over-Ethernet (PoE) standard or can use DC power.

While the devices have a low list price, it is difficult to determine how they stack up against competitive products. WLAN vendors have been notorious for discounting their products, a trend that gained momentum during the economic downturn. In addition, customers will need to purchase an Aruba WLAN controller to take advantage of the more sophisticated features. What is clear is that Aruba is trying to move downstream and push its products more aggressively to small and medium businesses.

The vendor has had a great deal of success in the wireless LAN space, however, the market is undergoing significant changes. Companies are moving away from autonomous wireless and wired networks. Because it lacks wired devices, Aruba finds itself in a precarious position. Also while the companys revenue has grown, profitability has remained elusive. Eventually, the company could end up being acquired by a larger company, but at least for the moment, it continues to press on and build itself up into a viable, independent supplier.