Today is an exciting day for Aruba - we just announced the release of Aruba Central, a cloud based network management system. In conjunction with the Instant access points, they form Aruba's cloud managed Wi-Fi solution.
The adoption of cloud managed Wi-Fi (like other cloud-based technologies) is often driven by the need to lower the TCO for organizations. TCO must be the "total" cost of ownership - not only the cost of deploying or getting set up. It's really about the ongoing operational costs, quickly responding to helpdesk calls when users experience problems on the network, and retaining the Wi-Fi network as a mission critical, integral asset.
So what goes into a WLAN solution to truly lower the TCO?
1. Create a cloud-based platform that will expedite Wi-Fi deployments - To enable this, we built a true zero-touch deployment model where the customer does not even need to enter a "serial #" or PO number in Aruba Central - the devices just show up on the console.
2. Build a cloud-based solution on enterprise-grade Wi-Fi hardware - Not just the fastest Wi-Fi in a lab environment but one that manages real world variances, environments and densities better than any other system. This is often a HIGHLY underrated part of lowering the TCO. If the network does not meet the wireless user's performance and reliability requirements, the IT team will waste resources and money troubleshooting, adding more APs and diagnosing problems.
3. Make no compromises on control - This means giving the administrator the ability do configuration changes at all levels and not just at the "global" network level. Or allowing the administrator to deploy firmware images in phases in their network rather than mandating an "all-or-nothing" approach. These are difficult management problems to solve that enable real customer workflows and policies.
These capabilities enable us to deliver a cloud-managed Wi-Fi solution that makes zero compromises.
