11th Annual Well-Connected Awards: Mobile and Wireless

Categories

Cellular Data Services ProviderWinner: Cellular Data Service. Verizon Wireless, (800) 2-JOIN-IN, (908) 306-7000. www.verizonwireless.com

Verizon Wireless deserves kudos for the most advanced deployment of 3G services. Verizon's CDMA-2000 EV-DO service isn't quite broadband, but it's close, offering adequate bandwidth and latency in our tests--good enough to support all mainstream business applications. Most of the major carriers are distracted by business consolidation challenges, but Verizon Wireless is delivering the goods today, at least for those customers whose pockets are deep enough to pay the monthly bills. Over time, competitive pressure will push prices down. (Read the original review)Finalists:
• Cellular Data Service, Cingular Wireless, (866) CINGULAR, (404) 236-6000. www.cingular.com

• Cellular Data Service, T-Mobile, (800) T-MOBILE. www.t-mobile.com

Wireless LAN Switch

Winner: Airespace Wireless System (now known as Cisco Wireless LAN Controller). Cisco Systems, (800) 553-6387, (408) 526-4000. www.cisco.comThe Airespace Wireless System isn't perfect, but in a very competitive market that has attracted talented engineers and smart business professionals, this wireless LAN switch has the right combination of technology and marketing to attract a growing customer base. Now that Airespace is part of Cisco, we're betting the highly regarded Cisco APs will be quickly adapted to work with Airespace controllers, forming a "smart everywhere" architecture that combines the best of conventional smart APs with the superior management capabilities of a distributed controller architecture. Look for Airespace wireless intelligence to make its way into a wide range of Cisco switch offerings, from the core to the distributed edge, in the coming year. (Read the original review)

Finalists:
• Aruba 2400 WLAN system. Aruba Networks, (866) 55-ARUBA, (408) 227-4500. www.arubanetworks.com

• Mobility System 3.0. Trapeze Networks, (877) FLY-TRPZ, (925) 474-2200. www.trapezenetworks.com

SmartphoneWinner: Siemens SX66 Pocket PC Phone. Siemens Communications, (888) 777-0211. www.siemens-mobile.com/usa

The potential business value of converged voice and data mobile devices--smartphones--is high, but much work remains, as IT professionals look for ways to integrate these devices into enterprise information systems. We've made significant progress refining device form factors, enhancing battery life and displays, and integrating a range of wireless technologies. Siemens has found the best combination of features and ergonomics with its SX66, which includes support for GSM/GPRS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, all running under Windows Mobile 2003, Second Edition.

Finalists:
• HP iPAQ h6315 Pocket PC, Hewlett-Packard. (877) 686-9637, (650) 857-5518. www.hp.com

• Treo 650 smartphone. palmOne, (888) 223-4817, (408) 503-7000. www.palmone.com

Mobile Device Management Platform

Winner: XcelleNet Afaria 5.1, iAnywhere Solutions, (800) 801-2069, (678) 585-7300. www.ianywhere.com

Gaining control of mobile computing devices is a little like herding cats. Nonetheless, iAnywhere Solutions makes the process a little easier with the mature and highly flexible XcelleNet Afaria. Afaria stays out of the way of administrators and device users, yet provides a range of valuable device-management features, such as asset control, automated device configuration, software management, backup and security. Best of all, it performs these functions across a broad range of platforms. (Read the original review)

Finalists:
• Intellisync Systems Management, a component of the Intellisync Mobile Suite 6 mobility platform. Intellisync Corp., (800) 224-5430, (408) 321-3800. www.intellisync.com

• Mobile Lifecycle Management Suite 6.0 (now known as Endpoint Policy Management Enterprise). iPass, (650) 232-4100. www.ipass.com

Mobile Application Gateway

Winner: Mobility XE, NetMotion Wireless. (206) 691-5500. www.netmotionwireless.com

Today's wireless data networks offer either high speed and limited range or broad coverage but marginal performance. Mobile application gateways help by managing roaming across multiple networks and optimizing performance over slow links. NetMotion Wireless delivers a system that's easy to deploy and manage. The product's policy control proved very flexible in our testing, providing a number of methods to manage client network traffic. The XE gateway also supports session persistence, which maintains connections to server applications even if mobile devices roam in and out of coverage areas. (Read the original review)

Finalists:
• IBM WebSphere Everyplace Connection Manager 5.1. IBM Corp., (877) 426-3774, Ext. 104CBW63. www-306.ibm.com• Roaming Gateway 310, ipUnplugged, 46-8-725-5900. www.ipunplugged.com

Dave Molta is a Network Computing senior technology editor. He is also assistant dean for technology at the School of Information Studies and director of the Center for Emerging Network Technologies at Syracuse University. Write to him at [email protected].

Airespace Wireless System (now known as Cisco Wireless LAN Controller). Cisco Systems, (800) 553-6387, (408) 526-4000, www.cisco.com

Cisco shocked the wireless market by acquiring Airespace, a start-up that proved quite effective in selling enterprise wireless gear, even to shops with extensive Cisco wired infrastructure. Airespace succeeded by assembling a strong team, developing an enterprise Wi-Fi switching product that offered more powerful and flexible services and management than competitors, and executing an effective marketing plan. In our lab, the Airespace product has always proved itself fast and reliable.For Cisco customers, the Airespace deal was great. Once a widely acknowledged leader in enterprise wireless, Cisco had failed to deliver Wi-Fi products that garnered enthusiasm from otherwise satisfied switching and routing customers. By acquiring Airespace, Cisco got both an excellent product set and significant mind share. Integrating products acquired through merger is never easy, but Cisco has an above-average record in that regard. The large customer base, feeling pressure to expand WLAN services, hopes this pairing succeeds. We expect it will.