Instead of having to choose between cost and features, businesses can buy the Wi-Fi features they need and not overpay for those they may not need
Wi-Fi has become a critical component of digital enterprises. The wireless network connects workers, customers, Internet of Things (Iot) endpoints and virtually everything else to the company network. In addition to connectivity, the data that is generated by wireless traffic can be analyzed and used to provide the business with new insights on customer or user behavior.
Choosing the right vendor for Wi-Fi infrastructure can be a conundrum for businesses. The choices available are either a low price point that carries a basic feature set or one with an enterprise-class set of functions with a much higher cost, meaning a compromise is always required. With most solutions, if a customer chooses the low-cost option, there’s no upgrade path to a more feature-rich solution other than ripping out the old stuff and putting in a whole new set of infrastructure.
Aerohive Networks says its new pricing model—Aerohive Connect—solves the problem. The new model gives customers a more cost-effective way to buy enterprise-class access points (APs) coupled with cloud networking.
As part of this week’s launch, the company released a new 802.11AC AP—the AP122—for $229 (list price). It also dropped the price on one of its most popular APs—the AP130—from $599 to $299. The solution also comes with access to the cloud management portal, HiveManager Connect. In actuality, HiveManager Connect is a simplified version of Aerohive’s HiveManager NG, but it gives customers all the functions they need to get the infrastructure up and running.
HiveManager NG is fairly easy to use for those familiar with the interface, but there is a steep learning curve because of the breadth of features. The Connect version exposes only the functions needed to get the AP online quickly so users can connect. In addition to the APs and cloud portal, Connect includes community support and email help from Aerohive.
Select and Insight versions of Hive Manager have more features
For customers that need more than basic connectivity, Aerohive allows customers to upgrade to a paid version of Hive Manager called Select. That version has everything in Connect, plus an advanced management suite, which includes client/device monitoring, network policies, switch and router management, and application visibility. Select customers also receive full customer support that includes 24×7 phone support.
There’s also a third tier—Insight—that provides value beyond things related to connectivity. Insight is an API platform that enables customers to integrate the Wi-Fi into applications and gather data and analyze it to gain new insights that can be used to improve customer service or employee productivity.
By taking this approach, Aerohive hopes to disrupt the market, as it gives customers a new way to purchase enterprise Wi-Fi. Instead of having to choose between cost and features, businesses can buy what they need and not overpay for features they may not need. Customers can start with an initial deployment at a low cost that provides basic connectivity. If that is all the business needs, then it can stay with that solution. But if a more advanced feature set is required, the deployment can be upgraded to Select or Insight with just a license key.
Hardware APs are becoming more standardized, making it increasingly difficult for vendors to differentiate in that area. All the innovation in Wi-Fi is now done in software and cloud management. Aerohive’s new pricing strategy and flexible upgrade plan lets customers get Wi-Fi up and running quickly at a low cost, then add features when they need them.
