Meru intros WLAN management app for iPhone, iPod touch

Meru, a company, which develops, and markets wireless LAN infrastructure solutions, has introduced the snappily named E(z)RF OnTheGo application specifically designed for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch.

Aimed at business-to-business clients, the application is billed as the first of it's kind across the industry, built around the recently updated E(z)RF Network Manager 2.0 software tool.

Network administrators for the first time can work untethered from their desktop consoles, gaining the ability to view customised dashboards, receive high-priority alerts from an iPhone.

As a browser-based application, E(z)RF OnTheGo does not require users to download any software onto an iPhone.

"E(z)RF OnTheGo gives new meaning to the phrase 'management by walking around,'" said Sri Juvvadi, director of product management at Meru.

"Critical information from the E(z)RF Network Manager 2.0 desktoconsole is delivered right to the IT manager on his iPhone. This is more than just a convenience: now, even if the network manager is off site, he can take meaningful steps to address critical issues either from a Wi-Fi hotspot or using the cellular network."

Available as an add-on option to E(z)RF Network Manager 2.0, E(z)RF OnTheGo costs US$499, around £300, per user license.

During an initial promotion, which until September 2009, the application can be downloaded free by any Meru customer with a service contract for E(z)RF Network Manager 2.0.