Aerohive aims to bring WLAN to the masses

Vendor claims new plug-and-play HiveManager Online product could slash wireless LAN costs

Green claims Aerohive's cloud-based offering will democratise WLAN technology

Vendor Aerohive is aiming to double UK partner numbers and claims its cloud-based offering will democratise wireless LAN (WLAN) technology.

The firm is pitching its HiveManager Online NMS product as a plug-and-play WLAN with access points being the only capital outlay.

EMEA sales vice president Gareth Green said: “The biggest opportunity for the channel is offering it as a managed service to customers – that does not exist at the moment.”

Green indicated that, since arriving in the UK in 2008, Aerohive has enjoyed success in the health and – more recently – education sectors. The vendor has about 20 UK resellers, including five or six systems integrators (SIs) focused on healthcare, all of which are served by distribution partner VADition.

Green claimed that during 2010, he wanted to maintain the SI relationships and add about 15 VARs. “We will maintain the one-distributor strategy,” he added. “We do not want to dilute the margin opportunity.”

Technical director Matt Perry claimed the ratification of wireless 802.11n technology would give the entire market a shot in the arm.

“That has removed any concerns that end users might have had,” he said.

Barrie Desmond, director of VADition, agreed with Perry that wireless is still seen as “a black art”.

But he claimed the new HiveManager could democratise the technology. “Aerohive will help partners make a heap of money on wireless,” he said.