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Bluesocket Plugs In

Wireless LAN management and security startup Bluesocket Inc. says it will use the $10 million it has scored in a third round of funding for working capital and to hire new salespeople and engineers.

"This should take us to profitability," Patrick Rafter, the company's director of corporate communications, told Unstrung in an email reply to questions.

So far, Bluesocket has gathered 'round $32 million in funding. Menlo Ventures is the lead investor in this latest round, which Bluesocket described as "oversubscribed." Bluesocket's wireless gateway products sit behind acess point networks and handle security functions and user access control; and they support roaming among different access points. The company's direct rivals include ReefEdge Inc. and Vernier Networks Inc.

Bluesocket's Rafter also positions his company's box as a competitor to the offerings of the wireless LAN switch startups, such as Aruba Networks Inc. and Trapeze Networks Inc. (see Aruba's Switch Pitch and Trapeze’s Switch Switcheroo ).

Bluesocket's product works with other vendors' access points and allows features to be globally applied across a network of access points. An example would be mobile VPNs (virtual private networks), which, unlike standard VPNs, allow users to move around a network and still retain their access rights, says Rafter.

In contrast, Rafter says, many wireless LAN switch vendors sell what he calls "lightweight" access points with the switch box; and the security functions they offer, such as wireless intrusion detection, can only be accessed when customers buy both the switch and the access points. Not all features are available if the switch is used with an existing network of other vendors' access points. "Clearly, switch vendors like Symbol and Aruba want you to buy the whole kit'n'kaboodle from them," says Rafter. Conveniently enough, the March issue of Wireless Oracle (Unstrung's paid research report, now renamed Unstrung Insider) looks at the opportunities for startups in the 802.11 security market, examining the prospects for Bluesocket, ReefEdge, Vernier, and others (see Security Startups Thrive). Unstrung research analyst, Gabriel Brown, concludes that there are plenty of opportunities for the producers' dedicated WLAN security boxes, particularly if higher-level management features are implemented.

— Dan Jones, Senior Editor, Unstrung Editor’s note: Neither Light Reading nor Unstrung is affiliated with Oracle Corporation

sqwireless 12/5/2012 | 2:58:15 AM
re: Bluesocket Plugs In moving to enterprise .....

.......... story .........

Herb Howell and YaShekia Smalls | Daily News Staff
October 06, 2005

BSU installs new wireless security

Rise in use demands change to quicker, safer network service

Cisco Clean Access may also provide students with a personalized page when they log on, Malm said. For example, students can have access to a personal calendar or class schedule every time they log on to the wireless network, he said.

The universityGÇÖs current GÇ£BluesocketGÇ¥ security authenticating system cannot handle the rise in the number of laptop users, Malm said. This resulted in a situation late last month where hundreds of people were connected to the wireless network and additional log-ins in a certain area were not possible until other login sessions were disconnected.

http://www.bsudailynews.com/vn...

....... or did Ball State change mind?......

Wireless network is secure, capable of handling 10,000 users (5/30/2003)

MUNCIE, Ind. GÇô Ball State UniversityGÇÖs wireless network is complete, secure and capable of handling 10,000 users from 30 buildings simultaneously.

Ball State collaborated with Avnet Enterprise Solutions and Bluesocket to install and administer six Bluesocket Wireless Gateways to secure the universityGÇÖs network.

http://www.bsu.edu/news/articl...
sqwireless 12/5/2012 | 2:58:15 AM
re: Bluesocket Plugs In moving to enterprise .....

.......... story .........

Herb Howell and YaShekia Smalls | Daily News Staff
October 06, 2005

BSU installs new wireless security

Rise in use demands change to quicker, safer network service

Cisco Clean Access may also provide students with a personalized page when they log on, Malm said. For example, students can have access to a personal calendar or class schedule every time they log on to the wireless network, he said.

The universityGÇÖs current GÇ£BluesocketGÇ¥ security authenticating system cannot handle the rise in the number of laptop users, Malm said. This resulted in a situation late last month where hundreds of people were connected to the wireless network and additional log-ins in a certain area were not possible until other login sessions were disconnected.

http://www.bsudailynews.com/vn...

....... or did Ball State change mind?......

Wireless network is secure, capable of handling 10,000 users (5/30/2003)

MUNCIE, Ind. GÇô Ball State UniversityGÇÖs wireless network is complete, secure and capable of handling 10,000 users from 30 buildings simultaneously.

Ball State collaborated with Avnet Enterprise Solutions and Bluesocket to install and administer six Bluesocket Wireless Gateways to secure the universityGÇÖs network.

http://www.bsu.edu/news/articl...
deepciscothroat 12/5/2012 | 12:16:46 AM
re: Bluesocket Plugs In We looked at it
Niche appliance for education market
$10M won't be enuf

cw
IPobserver 12/5/2012 | 12:16:37 AM
re: Bluesocket Plugs In I think they'll find it a challenge to shift from being a security player into the more general WLAN management area. But managing WLAN networks is a challenge for everybody at the moment.

Meanwhile I think the education sector is a good proving ground. Consider:
* The large number of "mobile" users continually coming and going and roaming across campus
* The many different classes of users, from students (with many different disciplines and IT needs) through to researchers, lecturers, and administrators.

In many ways this is more of a challenging environment than the "typical" enterprise, where the folks just come into work and sit at the same desk and do the same job day after day. Presumably though, the point of WLAN is to introduce flexibility into working practices (such as hot desking), which is likely to mean that the challenges faced by network administrators will grow and diversify.
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