Digital Common Sense

On Monday, I had the opportunity to chat on the phone with Tamir Galiliy, CEO of InspiAir. While this subject isn’t driectly related to voice technologies that are our focus here, this enabling technology is loosely related and rapidly evolving. We are on the edge of an exciting break through in muni-wireless technology. Isreal-based InspiAir develops WiFi technology that “defies the laws of physics” making it possible for muni-wireless and other Metropolitan Wide Area WiFi networks to deliver on the promise of WiMax now instead of years’ later. InspiAir has already deployed installations around the globe, most recently in Tel-Aviv and will soon be deploying in Helsinki. They’re also on the cusp of some major work in Milwaukee and Kenosha, Wisconsin.

About InspiAir
Originally established in 1998, InspiAir turned its focus to wireless internet solutions in 2003. It develops and deploys the InspiAir family of innovative wireless telecom infrastructure solutions, based on its proprietary Virtual Transmitting Manager (VTM) software algorithm. InspiAir solutions are suitable for a wide range of wireless communications scenarios, in the commercial, security and defense markets.

InspiAir overcomes the traditional challenges of mass deployment of wireless communications, enabling full throughput of 11 Mbps over the standard Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11, with an output power of 100 mW, over an extended range of up to 5 km (Point-to-Multipoint) and 40km (Point-to-Point). InspiAir’s technology supports seamless “hand-off” between Wi-Fi cells and enhanced encryption ensures unmatched security.

InspiAir’s systems operate in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band, and are ideal for providing multi-channel and high-capacity bandwidth communication for all types of wireless Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), LAN, or WAN deployments. Using standard Wi-Fi protocol (IEEE 802.11) and CPE boards, InspiAir’s solution is compatible with standard hardware, and supports both Point-to-Point and Point-to-Multipoint full duplex connectivity. The system components can also function as a wireless Access Point (AP), a station adaptor or a bridge with repeating function.

Based in Herzlia, Israel, InspiAir is a privately owned company.

WiMAX(802.16) - Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
WiMAX provides high throughput using a dedicated technology that’s built on cellular orientation. The carrier bands: 2-11GHz, 10-66GHz, with typical throughput of 70Mbps at 5-8KM. WiMAX can, at least in principle, provide a connection at 50KM. It hasn’t been widely tested thus far, and there’s ongoing disagreement among the dominant vendors. In short, it’s a high cost infrastructure with evolving standards that aren’t fully developed.

Mesh WiFi
Using the meshed WiFi network topology, there is more that one path between 2 nodes. This is the current leading approach to providing Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs). Typically a full mesh, connecting every node to every other node, is deployed, although this is likely unnecessary. Wireless MESH often deploys using 802.11a. It’s a very simliar principle to packet switching in many ways.

The Mesh WiFI approach has some disadvantages. It generally doesn’t support realtime streaming applications well (video and voice) The nodal processing for packet reassembly adds too much latency. There’s added overhead for syncrhonization, and handoffs often take up too 400ms. Design requires solid channel utilization planning. Many implementors feel Mesh WiFi is fairly high maintenance due to the large number of elements that must be deployed. In short, for many organizations, the ROI/ROE analyses just don’t pan out.

There’s an excellent 24 page paper comparing InspiAir’s solution to typical mesh solutions on their website at http://inspiair.com/Assets/InspiAir_Mesh_Comparison.pdf

In talking with Tamir, InspiAir really focuse on what I see as two fundamental areas, the MAN, the campus and the enterprise.

The MAN need, or latent customer demand, is quite clear. People want to connect to the Internet, Email, VoIP applications from everywhere. Most current solutions allow connectivity only in certain areas. Mo bility and roaming from one network from another. may not be supported. There’s also a compelling need to support existing WiFi technologies (NICs in laptops, for example). And csutomers want the full triple play of data (Internet), voice (perhaps using VoIP) and video in all kinds over a single device and single network. This is a key tenet of the ongoing network neutrality debate.

InspiAir’s approach to the MAN solution uses “Star” topology in cellular like deployment methods. They suggest a single, centralized NOC for the MAN and install towers with overlapping areas to increase coverage and usage potentials. One thing I noted in talking with Tamir and in reviewing the materials provided is InspiAir strongly recommends gathering as much information possible about the deployment area (Architectural, Economical, Topographical etc.). This readiness assessment and information gathering phase is so critical to the broad suite of unified communications technologies, and too often overlooked. It’s nice to see a vendor stress the importance.

Tha campus solution is really a scaled down MAN implementation. The campus examples they use include marinas, colleges, and hospitals. I’d suggest that many a large enterprise campus also fits this model. City centers, conventions centers, and federal/state/local centers of activity probably also fit the campus model nicely.

In the enterprise, the need is a bit different. Enterprise business needs to extend access to the corporate LAN. They need to broaden the reach of the corporate wired network at the employees desks to the entire enterprise. Enterprise businesses need to increase productivity by enabling employee connectivity from anywhere.

InspiAir’s approach to the enterprise problem is to integrate a seamless IP network with the customer network using both indoor and outdoor transmitters to build a service footprint that covers the enterprise environment. And they recommend third-party and existing security solutions to prevent data leakage.

The Network Operation Center (NOC)
InspiAir’s NOC allows customers to set up a Wireless ISP quickly and at a cost far lower than the existing WiMAX and Mesh WiFi solutions. Their approach includes using a robust AAA server to support Authentication, Authorization and Accounting. The solution supports PPPoE, DCHP and a captive portal approach, with traffic shaping capabilities to manage upload and download limits per user.

Here’s a slide I snagged from one of their presentations with a look at their next transmitter.

Tamir, and the InspiAir team clearly understand what smoe of the market drivers and needs are for both muni deployments and enterprise business. Everything I’ve seen shows that they can provide a clean solution for both.

As for personal experience, I haven’t directly used this technology personally. But I’ve been on the other end. If you read my post entitled SightSpeed Land Distance Record, you’ll find my notes on a SightSpeed conversation with Andy Abramson. SightSpeed’s my favorite VVoIP (Video/VoIP) application for collaboration. Andy was in Wisconsin at the time, using InspiAir’s technology to communicate with me. He was 1/4 mile from the WiFi access point.

InspiAir is clearly in the game for the long haul. They’ve been doing international deployment. They’re winning more business around the globe. They are a company to watch in the wireless space for sure.

Technorati Tags: InspiAir, Tamir Galily, Ken Camp

Filed by Ken at 1:17 pm under Technology, Unified Communications