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Firetide, developer of wireless multi-service mesh networks, announced it is shipping software that expands system support of simultaneous video, voice, and data applications over a wireless mesh infrastructure. The new software includes significant enhancements that enable network providers to deploy multiple devices and applications over a wireless mesh with the reliability and security they would expect over a wired network.

So that its customers have available the most effective solution for VoIP, surveillance, and WiFi (News - Alert) over mesh networks, Firetide has included a several new features designed to support a growing number of user applications.

To provide high levels of performance, the Firetide mesh now features flow-based routing for up to 32 Mbps throughput as well as a comprehensive set of new bandwidth metrics, including link quality and capacity, link type, and hop count, to enable flexible management and intelligent routing decisions. Load balancing, static routing, and broadcast containment round out the performance enhancements.

To provide enhanced transmission quality, Firetide’s expanded QoS and prioritization optimize the network for multi-service offerings, including latency sensitive voice and video applications. Firetide also has added WPA2 encryption, digital certificates, firmware signatures, and expanded password protection as added security measures to protect customers’ networks. Finally, in an effort to improve mobility, Firetide’s mobile mesh nodes can now roam seamlessly throughout a Firetide mesh with no packet loss or handoff delay.

“What our customers need and are now looking for is something beyond basic WiFi data mesh networks,” said Firetide CEO Bo Larsson. “They need secure, flexible, wireless solutions that are easy to install and manage and work with even more demanding applications, such as high speed video and voice over IP.”

When combined with Firetide’s HotView Pro 3.3 network management tool, Firetide’s new 3.3 software provides a flexible, secure and easy to manage networks of any size. HotView Pro provides real-time monitoring and comprehensive local and remote management via an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) for monitoring and managing all mesh-wide and individual node configuration settings for security, traffic prioritization, radio behavior, internetworking, and more.

The new software has already undergone testing with beta customers:

Rockford Housing Authority in Rockford, Illinois uses Firetide for wireless video surveillance in high crime areas. The network cameras have already provided significant decreases in criminal activity for the community.

North American Midway, uses Firetide’s mesh with 3.3 software as a park-wide network for wireless ticket sales in its traveling amusement parks.

AdSpace Networks adopted Firetide’s mesh with 3.3 software for audio/video digital advertising networks deployed in shopping malls in Chicago and Connecticut.

“We are continually setting up the network in new towns with unknown conditions,” said John Gallant, IT manager for North American Midway. “Version 3.3 has made our system a lot faster in addition to being extremely reliable. The new software has a link elimination feature that allows me to tweak and tune the Firetide network to achieve peak throughput in crowded RF environments.”

Version 3.3 is now included with all new Firetide mesh networks and is also available for downloading as a free upgrade to existing customers.

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Erik Linask is Associate Editor of INTERNET TELEPHONY. Most recently, he was Managing Editor at Global Custodian, an international securities services publication. To see more of his articles, please visit Erik Linask’s columnist page.