Interop 2006: Bluesocket announces first 'enterprise' MIMO access point

Las Vegas (NV) - Bluesocket today announced what it says is the first "enterprise-class"
access point using MIMO (multiple input / multiple output) technology.

Bluesocket’s BlueSecure Access Point 1700 MIMO dual-band access point

The BlueSecure Access Point 1700 (BSAP-1700) is a dual-band AP using Airgo’s TrueMIMO chipset. Bluesocket is positioning the product as a MIMO range and performance improvement play without the risk of legacy compatibility that draft 802.11n products have already demonstrated. The AP has an upgradeable radio, however, so that it can be transitioned to 802.11n capability, once the standard is released.

The BSAP-1700 does not appear to use Airgo’s latest Gen3 MIMO chipset, which given its relative immaturity and use of an optional 40 MHz bandwidth mode, would threaten the product’s strong legacy 802.11 compatibility message. The company is claiming that the product is "100 percent compatible with all existing Wi-Fi Alliance certified 802.11a/b/g clients and APs."

No enhanced throughput claims are made for the new AP, although Bluesocket is claiming a "greater than 30 percent increase in range and overall performance with standard 802.11a/b/g clients" vs. "legacy" APs.

Other features of the AP include an internal six-antenna array, multiple SSIDs, 802.11e Quality of Service (QoS) and all of Bluesocket’s features including DynamicRF and zero-configuration.

The BSAP-1700 is currently in beta trials and is expected to be "generally available" this July. Pricing was not announced.