TMCnews Featured Article

Editor's Note: This article refers to a video interview shot at Interop (News - Alert) 2010. To view TMCnet's entire library of videos from Interop and other industry shows, demonstrations and interviews in our in-house studio, visit our Video News home page.

One of the highlights of the Xirrus booth at Interop is the boxing ring. TMCnet was curious as to what this ring is meant to symbolize.

"Xirrus takes a very different approach to wireless," said Gates in the interview. "We're looking for wireless to replace wired networks. And the boxing ring is our way of creating our fight against the perception that wireless is not capable of handling that job."

Wireless is definitely ready to replace wired and in the boxing ring, we win every time.

So, why does this perception exist? The latest innovation in the market is less than a year old is giving wireless the same speed as wired, which is giving wireless new legs. There is a need in the industry to bring these architectural breakthroughs to the market to change the perception. Gates believes wireless is absolutely ready to handle the high throughput.

To achieve differentiation in the market, Xirrus is the only provider that was founded with the purpose of scaling up capacity in wireless networks. They brought WiFi (News - Alert) indoors and put up to 16 radios into a single device that offers twice as much - or more - of the traditional reach of the access point. The idea is to enable users to do more with less; a Win/Win situation.

When asked what happens if something goes wrong with an access point, Gates noted that the organization of the radios is designed such that it provides redundant coverage. Even in a failure, service isn't lost.

There are key vertical markets that are already pushing wireless as the dominant network, including education as they cannot pull wires to every desk or every building. Healthcare is another early adopter. Hospitals and manufacturing cannot afford to be tethered.

Gates also highlighted that the general enterprise will also move in that direction. Employees don't want to leave a wireless environment at home to come to a tethered environment at work. The pressure to go completely wireless is increasing from the inside. Ultimately, he believes it is this pressure that will turn the tide.  

For more on Xirrus and their fight for dominance in wireless, check out this video in full.