The newly-formed cloud networking group at networking vendor Cisco Systems has launched the Cisco Meraki MR34, its first 100 per cent cloud managed 802.11ac access point.
According to Cisco, the solution marries the new WiFi standard with new security and management technology, allowing businesses to support more users with faster, secure access that can be managed from the cloud. The 802.11ac standard allows for up to 1.3 Gbps with three times the capacity of the previous 802.11n standard.
The MR34 includes application traffic shaping, allowing for the prioritization of traffic from business critical applications and the blocking of unauthorized applications. There’s also a dedicated security radio that scans for and protects against wireless attacks, and cloud-based management features including integrated mobile device management. Cisco also promises seamless integration from legacy 802.11 a/b/g/n networks with zero-touch provisioning and remote configuration via the cloud.
With the MR34, Cisco said partners can gain subscription-based software revenue, and provides partners with a new cloud-based service they can take to their customers with minimal capital costs.
“Enterprises and midmarket businesses alike are increasingly looking to the cloud to simplify their infrastructure needs. Cisco’s new cloud managed 802.11ac wireless access point is our step towards helping our customers embrace the influx of mobile devices and better support bandwidth-intensive apps,” said Sanjit Biswas, vice-president and general manager of Cisco’s cloud networking group. “Moreover, this new product furthers Cisco’s strategy of offering software-centric solutions to streamline IT operations and empower customers to capture new business opportunities.”
The Cisco Meraki MR34 802.11ac cloud-managed wireless access point will have general availability later this summer, with a $1399 list price and lifetime warranty.