IDC estimates in a new report that the worldwide enterprise market for Cloud-managed WLAN infrastructure and managed services is expected to reach $2.5 billion by 2018 and states that Cloud computing has shifted the paradigm of enterprise IT from being hardware driven to service driven.

As more enterprises seek new ways to optimize existing resources and build capacity at the network edge, IDC expects to see the rise in Cloud-managed Wi-Fi adoption to continue. And indeed, enterprises are searching for increasingly sophisticated network functionalities - despite continually tight budgets and limitations around infrastructure, space, and staffing – and actually wish for a singular, centrally managed and controlled network for branch locations that are geographically dispersed.

Ruckus Wireless, Inc., a global supplier of advanced wireless systems for the rapidly expanding mobile Internet infrastructure market, seems to satisfy desires at the right time by revealing their first Cloud-based Smart Wi-Fi Access Management Service (SAMS). Their new offer combines the scale, efficiencies and cost-effectiveness of Cloud-based services with best-in-class Smart Wi-Fi products and technology to give organizations the power to now easily design, manage and monetize Wi-Fi services from an intuitive ‘point-and-click’ Cloud-based portal.

Businesses can now quickly create and customize wireless hotspots for single or multiple sites without building extensive data centers, or deploying expensive and cumbersome infrastructure typically required for offering managed Wi-Fi access services. Unlike other public wireless access alternatives, SAMS combines all the necessary infrastructure components and service elements into a single solution.

Ideal for any organization or venue offering managed public wireless access, such as shopping malls, stadiums, convention centers, airports and retail outlets, SAMS transforms the traditional model for offering managed Wi-Fi services by moving local network infrastructure, such as WLAN controllers, authentication servers, captive portals, advertising engines and content filtering into the Cloud as a service.

As WLAN management shifts to the Cloud, venue owners now have access to cost-effective, easy to manage enterprise grade wireless at a lower total cost ownership (TCO). SAMS delivers flexible deployment and management options through a simple, Web-based portal that allows highly customized Wi-Fi access services to be defined and created in a matter of minutes, and provided at a low TCO.

“The benefits the Cloud brings to the wireless access market are undeniable,” said Selina Lo, president and CEO of Ruckus Wireless. “Beyond delivering world-class Wi-Fi infrastructure solutions, with SAMS, Ruckus continues to give its partners and customers the ability to realize greater value from Wi-Fi through innovative new services such as Cloud-based access, location services, rich analytics and the ability to begin monetizing their networks.”

For instance, all requisite authentication services, WLAN administration and service management tools are integrated directly within SAMS. That way, when configuring SAMS, customers have complete control over service branding and functionality, such as the ability to enable authentication with popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Besides that, service enforcement controls can be used to limit the length and number of sessions, restrict bandwidth consumption or filter access to specific content. To further customize access services and enrich the user experience, SAMS provides a rich set of user analytics that can be collected over periods of time. Each venue is provided with a view into their wireless access service from a single Web-based dashboard that provides customers at-a-glance information such as popular registration methods, total user sessions and visits, new and returning users visits, registration by device type, age group and gender, and the most popular devices being used on the network, as well as the average duration of user sessions.

By MediaBUZZ