Cisco Taps Wireless Networking Market

By Susan Rush
from BroadbandWeek Direct, April 12, 2002

Cisco Systems Inc. is targeting the wireless local area networks market with the rollout of new wireless networking gear.

The company's Aironet 1200 Series Access Point boxes are designed to use Wi-Fi equipment or 802.11 technology. The box sends and receives signals much like a wireless tower. The Aironet 1200 AP transmits up to 54 million bits of data per second. The WLAN market is expected to post 22 percent growth by the end of 2006, predicts research firm Gartner Dataquest. The market was valued at $1.4 billion at the end of 2001.

The product line is "flexible and upgradeable," Cisco says. The standard version of the Aironet 1200 AP supports a single 802.11b radio module to accommodate current Wi-Fi clients, but comes with an additional slot for an 802.11a radio module. The radio modules are designed to enable customers to upgrade the boxes to support future technologies such as 802.11a, says Cisco.

The radio base stations will be priced at $999 and $1,400, while the plug-in computer cards will be priced at $229. The products will go on sale by the end of the month.

Cisco launched the first version of its Aironet product line -- the Aironet 350 Series Access Point box -- 18 months ago.