Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) launched a wireless LAN controller this week that allows a management system to operate as many as 500 branch office locations, 2,000 access points and 20,000 Wi-Fi clients from a single data center.
The company plans to demo the controller device at Interop this week at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
The new product is the Cisco Flex 7500 Series Cloud Controller and is priced starting at $47,995. The company said the new offering allows IT managers to remotely configure wireless management, security and policy.
Cisco also released new integrated services router web security software for the ISR G2 branch router that is scheduled to ship in July for $2,495, along with a yearly Cisco ScanSafe subscription.
Cisco hooked a solid client in Bass Pro Shops (BPS), which operates 54 retail stores and a headquarters and distribution center. BPS said it’s used the Flex 7500 controller the last two months to lower the necessity for a wireless LAN controller in each warehouse or retail location, which the company had used to facilitate the use of wireless printers and scanners at each location.
BPS reported that the new controller should reduce costs by removing the need for a controller in each store and the maintenance necessary from additional employees. The company also expects the device to pay for itself in 18 months by reducing the above costs and selling or trading old controller units from BPS locations.
Competitor Motorola Solutions Inc. announced last week that it has a new NX 9000 integrated services controller can support as many as 10,000 APs from one central location with pricing starting at $14,995 in addition to $59,995 for the first 1,000 AP licenses.
