Aruba Instant On Networking Portfolio Gets Wi-Fi 6 Access Point

The Aruba Instant On networking portfolio now features its first Wi-Fi 6 certified access point, the vendor said on Monday.

The new AP22 targets the small business user. Aruba, an HPE company, suggests ideal users/vertical markets for AP22 are offices, schools, and retail and hospitality businesses. The AP22 is the latest generation of the Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.ax technology.

Key product features include: fast 802.11ax, 2×2:2; Wi-Fi 6 certified multiuser, multiple input, multiple output (MU-MIMO) performance; smart mesh Wi-Fi support; built-in Wi-Fi router/gateway functionality; integrated Bluetooth; easy-to-use web and mobile app for setup and management; secure guest Wi-Fi; and application classification, control and visibility.

This new Wi-Fi 6 access point meets the need for the increasing number of connected devices, according to Aruba. It delivers higher capacity – four times the capacity of the previous generation, or 802.11.ac, access points. The AP22 also offers greater performance at a competitive price. Furthermore, it is suitable for small businesses with expanding mobile, cloud, and IoT requirements, the company said.

In fact, the Wi-Fi Alliance contents that Wi-Fi, 802.11ax, is a solid choice for IoT. That recommendation is based on security, interoperability and lower battery consumption features.

The latest generation of Wi-Fi offers connectivity speeds up to 1.7 Gbps. Aruba says the AP22 maximizes performance while minimizing interference from 3G/4G/LTE cellular networks and other distributed antenna systems. Another feature is backward compatibility with legacy 802.11 devices. Legacy technology includes 802.11b/g/n/ac.

What’s In It for Partners?

The new AP22 expands the Aruba Instant On portfolio so partners can offer their customers Wi-Fi certified 6 wireless access points that deliver fast Wi-Fi speeds and reduced latency. Partners also get to offer the advanced security capabilities characteristic of Wi-Fi 6, with the ease of deployment and management that the Aruba Instant On portfolio provides.

Another benefit for partners: The Aruba Instant On portfolio presents new revenue opportunities around managed services. They can deliver value-added services such as remote IT management, configuration and post-sales support.

IDC’s Brandon Butler

The enterprise segment revenue of the WLAN market grew 1.5% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2019, reaching $1.7 billion. It grew 1.8% for the full year in 2019, reaching $6.2 billion, according to IDC.  Wi-Fi 6 made up 10% of dependent AP unit shipments and almost 17% of revenues in the fourth quarter. That’s up from 3.2% of shipments and 6.2% of revenues in the previous year.

“[Overall] enterprise WLAN market growth slowed in the latter part of 2019 due in part to macroeconomic issues impacting enterprise spending, especially in [the fourth quarter]. While these results closed before COVID-19 began spreading, the concerns around it are expected to further impact the broader outlook for the market in the first half of 2020,” said Brandon Butler, senior research analyst, network infrastructure, IDC. “Despite these near-term headwinds, enterprises will continue to invest in wireless networking technology given its critical importance as an access connectivity method and driver of digital transformation.”

Back in May, Aruba made additions to its portfolio of Instant On switches.