Strix Totally Unwires LAN

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- Strix Systems, Inc. today announced Access/One Network, the first complete wireless local area network system. Unlike traditional wireless LAN solutions, which require wired Ethernet at every access point, the Access/One Network uses a wireless Ethernet backhaul. In addition, while traditional wireless LAN solutions are difficult to plan, the Access/One Network automatically configures itself, adapting to changes without requiring human intervention. The Access/One Network serves all wireless devices using 802.11 a/b/g, Bluetooth, or future RF technologies simultaneously on a single enterprise network. The inclusion of enterprise-class management tools provides additional flexibility, while standards-based authentication and encryption ensure security.

"Until today, wireless LAN solutions, whether fat, thin, or switched, all had one common problem - they were all tied to Ethernet cables, which creates an expensive logistics challenge for many organizations," said Bruce Brown, Chairman and CEO, Strix Systems. "The Access/One Network eliminates the need for Ethernet cabling all the way back to the wiring closet and provides the security, flexibility, and automatic operation required to keep costs low while boosting productivity and performance."

By providing mobility for any wireless device, the Access/One Network enhances user productivity. Whether users carry a notebook, tablet, PDA, or other Bluetooth or wireless LAN device, the Access/One Network enables them to stay continually connected to the network as they move about the building - without requiring special software on the device. Further, the Access/One Network supports nearly three times the number of Bluetooth devices (20) as do standard Bluetooth access points (7).

As one of the world's fastest growing market research firms, Lieberman Research Worldwide is constantly looking to expand. "The Access/One Network was the right solution for our growing company." said David Froemke, director of information technology at LRW. "Once we lease additional space in our building, we will simply drop however many nodes we need in the new location and turn them on, the network takes care of the rest."

Access/One Network modules are designed to stack on top of one another to form a network node, which provides localized connectivity and intelligence. Multiple network nodes connect in a mesh to form a unique wireless system for each organization. The Access/One Network provides a mesh topology to make it easy and cost-effective to plan and configure a wireless network.

Mesh topology is the next step in network evolution, beyond centralized switching and lightweight access points. Mesh topology enables self-configuring, self-healing, and highly scalable networks. Distributed intelligence routes traffic on optimal paths, limits broadcasts and bottlenecks, simplifies installation requirements, and grows proportionately to provide connections for thousands of wireless devices.

"Strix has taken a systems approach to wireless LAN networking," said Allen Horwitz, vice president at Pacific Coast Cabling, a Southern California company that recently implemented Access/One Network. "The Access/One Network significantly reduces the barriers to deploying a secure wireless LAN network, while optimizing bandwidth, and enterprise class manageability."

The Access/One Network provides a full array of standards-based tools to cost-effectively secure the wireless network. In addition to using WEP and WPA standards, the Access/One Network also incorporates AES encryption and tools to defeat rogue access points to further strengthen protection against unauthorized activity.

While the Access/One Network is designed to self-configure, self-tune, self-diagnose, and self-heal, it also offers IT administrators a variety of management capabilities to manually maintain control and visibility of the wireless network. The Access/One Network can be configured and monitored with a Web browser from a built-in Web server interface or with a command line interface from a terminal or PC connected via Telnet.

Access/One Network Nodes will be priced a la cart style ranging from $850 to $1300 depending on Network Node configuration and will be generally available on July 21.

Strix Systems Inc.