The Waltham, Massachusetts-based company last week launched the ability to configure one of the radios on the dual-radio version of its InReach MultiService Access Point into a sensor for security purposes, using technology from AirTight Networks Inc for the sensor capability.
That leaves the other radio (both are a/b/g) available for client access, but of course, that means voice and data sharing that radio, and Pierre Trudeau, CTO of the privately held company, revealed that a triple-radio device is thus on the way for the middle of next year.
Capacity is a significant challenge as voice makes its way increasingly onto WLANs, with the maximum number of calls an AP can handle depending on the flavor of 802.11 used: 11b can six or seven concurrent calls due to its 11Mbps data rate, which in reality often drops to 6Mbps.
11g, with its 54Mbps theoretical maximum, boasts up to 20 calls, though in reality that often drops to 14 (Colubris earlier this year boasted the ability to support up to 16). Cisco currently recommends no more than seven concurrent calls, with no more than 20 handsets in standby mode, in order to maintain voice quality.
