Users want to connect to the corporate network as quickly as they do to public networks while IT managers need those connections to be secure.
"Since tablet devices and smartphones have no LAN connection port, the answer for many corporates is the introduction of, and migration to Wi-Fi. The benefits are low upfront costs and minimal maintenance compared to the more traditional cable solutions, and of course greater mobility within the work environment. More importantly, features that address security, an item always high on IT managers' agendas, are now available from leading Wi-Fi solution providers," says Paul Fick, divisional MD of Jasco Enterprise Communication.
Connections into the business via a public network are never going to be as secure as when working within a single corporate network. Aruba Networks' wireless technology takes care of the security gap, providing a secure virtual private network (VPN) tunnel back into the corporate network. "This is a new feature that we expect will become an indispensable security requirement for most enterprises in the near future," says Fick.
Aruba is one of a number of solutions that Jasco Enterprise Communications makes use of to develop tailored solutions that will meet its customers' changing requirements. Explains Fick: "Aruba's remote access solutions include centralised Mobility Controllers. These are typically deployed in the data centre and handle all wireless intelligence, including services such as RF configuration, inter-AP handover and QoS policing. Aruba's mobility controllers incorporate an
integrated, stateful firewall that identifies tracks and polices users as they move across the network."
The Aruba remote access solutions also include low-cost Remote Access Points (RAPs) and a Virtual Intranet Access (VIA) agent. The VIA agent is a hybrid IPsec/SSL VPN solution that scans network connections and automatically selects the best connection back to the corporate network
whenever needed. Unlike traditional VPN software, VIA offers a zero-touch experience for the end user and can even configure the WLAN settings on laptops. VIA automatically detects the network connection. If it is not inside the corporate network, VIA initiates an IPsec connection back to the
data centre, making network access seamless to the user, no matter where they work.
Wireless networking has a number of new challenges to resolve, Fick concludes: "Getting enough bandwidth into and out of the organisation is also going to be high on the priority lists of IT managers as the number and kinds of personal and other devices connected to the corporate network grows. We supply and service the network providers so we understand the technology and its limitations - it's that expertise that allows our enterprise and business customers to maximise new technology benefits first."
