Last month, Agito Networks unveiled a new line of enterprise mobility products that use Wi-Fi and cellular networks to help enterprise users reduce their cellular expenses. The company’s approach is also designed to help medium and large enterprise customers integrate Agito’s fixed mobile convergence (FMC) enterprise mobility solution with an overall VoIP deployment.

The system was designed to meet several key requirements, according to Agito co-founder and Vice President of Marketing Pej Roshan. First, since the user must be unaware of transfers between the cellular and Wi-Fi networks, the architecture supports network handoffs that are less than 100 msec. Second, the system does not require any on-site RF engineering. Third, the best possible coverage must be maintained no matter where the user is located within the building. And finally, the system must support multiple cellular carriers.

According to Roshan, one differentiator in the company’s approach is that it uses “location aware” technology that marks ingress and egress areas that are sent to a mobility router and “ready to use.” Roshan notes that the secret to successfully meeting user requirements is based on where the transfer occurs between networks. To facilitate a fast and easy transfer the Agito approach first allows system administrators and user to create mobile policies based on specific location profiles. The policies are then applied at a routing enforcement point and automatically enabled based on the user’s location.

The company’s ecosystem partners include Nokia, Symbian, and Windows Mobile handsets; Avaya, Cisco, Nortel with IP-PBX interoperability; and Aruba, Cisco, Meru, and Trapeze WLAN / Wi-Fi. Supporting the need by some enterprises making a transition to the Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) environments, the company notes that they have demonstrated interoperability that permits a seamless handover between the two systems. Agito products will be sold directly and through channel partners, and the new product line will be available later this quarter.

Editor's note: Starting the week of  Nov. 19, you will notice a number of enhancements to Network World newsletters that will provide you with more resources and more news links relevant to the newsletter's subject. The Convergence & VoIP Newsletter, written by analysts Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick, will be merged with the VoIP News Alert and will be newly named the Convergence & VoIP Alert. You'll get Steve and Larry's analysis of the convergence and VoIP market, which you will be able to read in full at NetworkWorld.com, plus links to the day's convergence news and other relevant resources. This Alert will be mailed on Mondays and Wednesdays. We hope you will enjoy the enhancements and we thank you for reading Network World newsletters.

Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. Larry Hettick is a principal analyst at Current Analysis.