Who Leads in WLAN Security?

Comparative Evaluation of Vendor Offerings and Positioning

WLAN security has improved immeasurably with the adoption of IEEE 802.11i, but vendors are still faced with several security gaps. In addition, the public now demands more elaborate guest authentication, intrusion detection, site planning, and network management. Aruba Networks and Trapeze Networks are battling Cisco for market supremacy. Their products were designed from the beginning with security paramount, so they are forcing Cisco to move faster to integrate many key security functions that now are add-on products. Bluesocket, Xirrus Networks and Meru Networks provide intriguing alternatives built on quite different architectures. Nortel has a very strong WLAN security offering built in part on its own technology and in part on its partnership with Trapeze. Symbol and HP offer some innovative security technologies but both have significant security gaps yet to be filled.

This study examines the major security vulnerabilities found in today’s WLAN equipment and evaluates the vendors based on both their innovation and their implementation. One key differentiator is how effectively these companies have built strategic partnerships and integrated their partners’ products. Another area of contention is End Point security. Voice over Wi-Fi raises the stakes because vendors have been forced to provide stopgap measures to handle load balancing and roaming as well as some other areas to ensure low latency.

What Questions Does This Report Answer?

  • What is Cisco’s greatest challenge in the WLAN market?
  • In what key areas can Aruba and Trapeze most effectively compete with Cisco?
  • Where are wireless LANs most vulnerable today, and what proprietary measures are vendors taking?
  • What do Symbol and HP need to do to gain market share?
  • On what key security features should enterprises focus when comparing the leading WLAN equipment vendors?
  • What kinds of security partnerships make sense right now for WLAN equipment vendors?
  • Which vendors are positioned best today because of their WLAN architecture?
  • What is the biggest challenge facing Bluesocket today?
  • What impact will radically new architectures such as those from Xirrus Networks and Meru Networks have on the WLAN security market?

Who Needs This Report?

  • WLAN Equipment Manufacturer Product Managers and Marketing Strategists
  • Financial and Investment Analysts
  • Vendors Specializing in the Network Security Market
  • Large Enterprise CIOs and Network Managers Evaluating WLAN Equipment
  • WLAN Chip Manufacturers
  • Services Companies