CloudCommand 2.0: Hotspot

CloudCommand 2.0 provides the industry’s only fully customizable hotspot right out of the box.

Are you a medical clinic needing a waiting-room guest network?  Or a hotel seeking to generate revenue through Wi-Fi?  For every type of connectivity scenario, CloudCommand Hotspot has your solution.

CloudCommand Hotspot Features

•  Guest Network with Client Isolation, Firewalled Access, Captive Portal Password Protection. A separate Wi-Fi connection for guests provides Internet-only access, keeping your Local Area Network (LAN) secure. No more sharing passphrase means higher security.

• Customizable Guest Captive Portal. Add branding and custom terms of use to the page used by guests to log into the Hotspot.

• Customizable Guest Redirect Page. Redirect guest users to your website of choice after they log into the Hotspot.

• Per-Guest Download/Upload Limits. Define how much total bandwidth a guest user can utilize per each session. Different users can receive different allocations of total bandwidth based on how they are authenticated.

• Per-Guest Time Access Limits. Define how long a guest user can access the Hotspot network. Different users can be allowed different session durations based on how they are authenticated.

• Front-Desk Interface for Hotspot Management. A dedicated login role with a dedicated interface can be assigned for guest-services operators in charge of issuing guest passes and monitoring activity.

• Shared Guest Password Option. A single shared password can be used for common users of the guest network.

• Individual Pass Option. Individual passes associated with individual time and bandwidth rules can be manually issued for in-person distribution or sent via text message or email.

• SMS Pass Request for Guest Network. Self-service request of passes can be enabled via SMS.

• Hotspot Paid Access with Credit-Card Processing. Offer paid access to your hotspot at the click of a button. No hassle, just the revenue. Credit-card processing, authentication, total bandwidth allocation and session duration times are all handled by the CloudCommand system.

View our Hotspot Video.

CloudCommand’s Unbeatable Combination of Features, Usability & Affordability

Our CloudCommand platform delivers the first and only Wi-Fi solution specifically designed to meet the needs and budgets of SMBs and MSPs that support them.

The combination of enterprise-type features, remarkable usability and unprecedented affordability make CloudCommand the preferred networking platform for SMBs, schools, medical offices and hospitality businesses around the United States and world.

Our recent CloudCommand 2.0 release offers even more rich functionality and control.  Some highlights:

Configuration & Updating

• Self-Configuring Access Points. Self-configuring equipment deploys in minutes instead of hours or days. Simply plug the equipment into a live Ethernet connection with Internet access and in less than three minutes, it is ready for use.

• Group Configuration, Network-Wide Roaming. Seamlessly configure access points across multiple locations and empower connected users to roam easily with no need to reconfigure devices.

• Remote Reset and Reboot. Access points can be remotely reset and rebooted to solve basic connectivity problems with no need for on-site presence.

• Automatic FW Update with Group Updates and Scheduled Updates. All complications related to upgrading the firmware on your access points disappear: when an update is available, it can be pushed it to all access points at the click of a button.

Security

• Private Network with WPA2-PSK Encryption. A secure Wi-Fi connection enables trusted wireless devices to safely connect to your business Local Area Network (LAN).

• Enhanced Security with Individual Device Authentication. Patented, two-factor Individual Device Authentication (IDA) technology enables administrators to identify and secure each connected device individually via a self-service process leveraging email or text messaging. Know who is on the network and what their activity levels are.

• Site Survey & Rogue AP Detection. Learn what other Wi-Fi network are broadcasting near you and use the information to identify access points that may be connected to your network without being authorized before they become security threats. The same information can also be used to optimize your channel selection.

Management

• Remote Cloud Management. With cloud management, Wi-Fi networks across multiple locations can be monitored and administered in real time through the Internet.

• Real-Time Alerting. The system can provide real-time SMS or email alerts if critical elements of the system are disrupted.

• Auto RF Management with Auto TX Power and Auto Channel Selection. Simplified automated management of radio frequency parameters means no need for planning or manual configuration in simple environments.

• Networks Broadcasting Schedule (Weekly). Select on a daily and weekly basis when your Wi-Fi networks should broadcast, thereby limiting security exposure and unauthorized bandwidth usage.

• VLAN Tagging. Each SSID can be associated to a VLAN tag for VLAN partitioning. If VLAN tags are used across the Ethernet network, each SSID is independently connected only to the resources associated to the assigned VLAN.

• Extended Usage Reporting and Graphing (30 days). View upload and download bandwidth usage on your wireless network on a per-connected device and/or access-point basis for up to 30 days. You can use this tool to optimize the placement of your access points based on their actual usage.

[Next: Learn about CloudCommand 2.0's Hotspot features]

CloudCommand 2.0 Brings New Features & Performance Enhancements to Cloud-Powered Networking

We’re excited to announce that CloudCommand 2.0 is here, providing a number of new, exciting features and performance enhancements that make this release our best yet. In the coming weeks, we’ll be rolling out CloudCommand 2.0 through our various OEM partners.  Key updates include:

• Greatly Improved Hotspot Network.  All the great options of CloudCommand Hotspot are now manageable from a single location and we’ve made the hotspot a natural extension of the guest network.  New configuration options provide you even greater control for managing connected users’ access time, bandwidth limits and authentication methods.

• Upgraded Performance Reporting Engine.  CloudCommand 2.0 provides more granular and comprehensive reporting features, empowering you to review and manage your network like never before.  Analyze network traffic patterns, access-point usage, user activity and more.

• Streamlined Interface.  CloudCommand 2.0 delivers a streamlined and improved user interface.  New, interactive tooltips make the already intuitive dashboard even easier to understand and use.

• Simplified Subscription Model.  Service subscription to CloudCommand is now handled on a network-wide basis which eliminates the complexity of individually entering a renewal license for each cloud-powered hardware unit.  Additionally, license terms of all access points within your network now automatically normalize on a convenient single-expiration date and your service can be easily extended with a single license key.

In the coming days, we’ll get into the details of the great features and benefits of the CloudCommand 2.0 platform.  We know you will enjoy this upgrade as much as we have enjoyed developing it.

Oregon Solution Provider Grows Services Business by Adding Managed Wi-Fi

Solution provider Compex2 of suburban Portland, OR, successfully grew its services business by managing Wi-Fi networks powered by CloudCommand, and as result responded to its customers’ wireless needs, expanded its business and improved its profitability.

Originally a PC shop selling hardware and networking devices, the firm has gradually moved into managed services as it builds a reputation in the Willamette Valley as a go-to expert for supporting the full spectrum of a customer’s IT needs, particularly in the healthcare industry.

In the past two years, HIPAA compliance has become a critical issue for President Matthew Middlestetter’s customer base.  So too has the management of mobile devices appearing on office networks.

When it came time to upgrade a healthcare facility’s wireless network, Middlestetter sought a solution that would meet his customer’s connectivity, security and reporting requirements while staying within their budget limits.  Consumer solutions were inadequate.  Enterprise solutions were too expensive.

CloudCommand-Powered Wi-Fi  

What Middlestetter needed was a wireless network that offered business-grade functionality at a price point his customers could afford.  What he discovered was a CloudCommand-powered solution through OPEN Networks.

The CloudCommand platform delivers cloud-enabled networking functionality that transforms business connectivity overnight - affordably empowering small businesses, healthcare organizations, school districts and more with  features and management controls which until now only existed in expensive enterprise environments.

Even better, Middlestetter immediately recognized that CloudCommand-powered networks offered him the opportunity to effortlessly expand their managed-services business into the wireless category.

Wi-Fi Success and Recurring Revenue

In a single afternoon, Compex2 deployed and began remotely managing a network of 14 access points supporting a state-of-the-art medical facility in Oregon’s capital of Salem.  Tasks such as device provisioning, troubleshooting and capturing real-time network usages reports became as simple as clicking a mouse button.  As the Wi-Fi network administrator, Compex2 bills for its management services on a monthly per-access point basis.

The experience proved incredibly successful.  So successful that in a matter of weeks, Compex2 began deploying CloudCommand-powered networks into additional healthcare facilities around the Willamette Valley.

Today, it has a half-dozen sites under management with more to come.  Administration is handled by a Compex2 administrator though a single user interface.  The efficiency is unbeatable, and Compex2 is earning dependable, recurring revenue from a new line of business.

“With no previous wireless experience, we successfully built a managed-services business around CloudCommand in a matter of months,” said Middlestetter.  ”Our customers are extremely pleased with their networks.  Our administrator remotely handles all their needs with efficiency, and we have a steady stream of revenue.  In 2012, we expect our Wi-Fi management business to double.”

Provider Benefits

• Build Profits:  Recurring Revenue & Profitability through Cloud-Based Managed Wi-Fi
• Develop a New Line of Business:  Opportunity to Manage Wi-Fi for Existing and New Customers
• Be a Hero to Customers:  Real-Time Customer Support through Remote Management
• Improve Efficiency:  Simultaneous Management of Multiple Customer Sites

Learn more

EDUCATION Solutions: Forestville Central School District in New York

The Forestville Central School District (FSCD) near Buffalo, NY, relies on a CloudCommand-powered network from Amer Networks to deliver secure Wi-Fi to its student body, staff and administrators.

The district’s 14-unit installation supports several hundred users at multiple locations and provides administrators the tools to manage and monitor connectivity.

Leveraging CloudCommand’s patented Individual Device Authentication (IDA™), Technology Coordinator Murphy individually identifies, secures and monitors every device that accesses his network.  He maintains a separate guest network for public events.  Murphy has assigned additional administrators to the manage the network in case he’s unavailable and he receives real-time alerts when issues arise.

“Every public school district needs to take a serious look at Amer Networks’ CloudCommand-powered solution,” said Murphy.  ”It was designed for the budgets and needs of the education market.  It not only delivers excellent Wi-Fi, but gives me multiple tools to manage my network.  We saved money and we got the network we needed.”

New Video: Turnkey Instant Hotspot Solutions by CloudCommand

Our latest CloudCommand video highlights how managed services providers (MSPs) create powerful, cost-effective hotspot solutions using CloudCommand Hotspot, the first turnkey, cloud-managed hotspot solution for small- and medium-sized businesses.

Key Benefits

• Deploy commercial hotspots in minutes
• Build revenue-generating service plans
• Process online credit-card payments with no setup required
• Simultaneously offer different plans to different users
• Limit user access by session duration and/or total bandwidth usage
• Customize branded login portals, terms of use and more

Watch the Video.

Press Release: Amer Announces World’s First Complete Cloud-Managed Wi-Fi Portfolio Tailored to Education Market

Affordable, Easy-to-Manage Wi-Fi Solution Provides Indoor, Outdoor and Extended-Range Options to Schools of All Sizes

TORONTO, Oct. 24, 2011 — Amer Networks, a manufacturer and global distributor of networking, storage and security products, today extends the world’s first cloud-managed Wi-Fi solution designed specifically to meet the connectivity, budgetary, and ease-of-use needs of the education market to include outdoor and extended-range Wi-Fi products.

Amer Networks delivers affordable, business-grade indoor Wi-Fi solutions to school districts and schools throughout North America.  By adding outdoor and extended-range access points to its product portfolio, it now provides complete district- and campus-wide connectivity across indoor classrooms, outdoor playgrounds, public-access sites, sporting fields and all other areas.

CloudCommand™, a customizable online-software platform from PowerCloud™ Systems, powers Amer Networks’ portfolio.  The CloudCommand platform enables solutions that are simple to configure and deploy, remotely manageable, capable of being monitored in real time and able to deliver enhanced security.

Key Facts

• Amer Networks provides the world’s first complete portfolio of cloud-managed access points to support the indoor, outdoor and extended-range connectivity needs of the education market.
• The Amer Networks’ portfolio is ideal for K-12 school districts that require reliable Wi-Fi across multiple spaces and features such as enhanced security, event reporting and a secure hotspot.
• The portfolio expansion builds on the early success of Amer Networks’ cloud-managed indoor access point, which since its launch in 2Q 2011 has become the most successful product in the company’s 15-year history.
• The Amer Networks’ portfolio leverages CloudCommand, a customizable online software platform developed by PowerCloud Systems that provides comprehensive cloud capabilities.  CloudCommand-powered networks deliver enterprise-class management features but are simple to deploy and easy to administer.
• Amer Networks’ simple and affordable offering works equally well for cost-conscious businesses seeking managed Wi-Fi solutions, particularly in the retail, hospitality and health care markets.

Key Benefits of Amer Networks Solutions Powered by CloudCommand

• Deploy and manage complete indoor and outdoor business-grade Wi-Fi networks using a single solution.
  Deploy multiple, self-configuring access points in minutes.
• Concurrently and remotely configure and manage all access points via a simple browser with no additional hardware.
• Operate a primary network for staff and teachers and a separate student hotspot network that has customizable usage limits, login screens and auto-scheduling functionality.
• Automatically secure connecting laptops and other devices with patented Individual Device Authentication (IDA™), a two-factor authentication process.
• Allow connected users to securely roam across buildings or networks.
• Respond quickly to real-time alerts about network issues.
• Monitor network usage, generate reports and review statistics.

Comments

Wai Lee, CEO of Amer Networks:

“By expanding our cloud-managed wireless portfolio, Amer Networks demonstrates its commitment to providing campus-wide wireless connectivity and network management to K-12 schools and school districts of every shape and size.  We recognize that digital learning is a critical component of today’s classroom and we offer the best solution on the market for delivering Wi-Fi that is secure, affordable and specifically designed for the school environment.”

Read the release.

PowerCloud’s Director of Sales to Present at WISPAPALOOZA 2011 in Las Vegas on October 11

 PowerCloud Systems’ Director of Sales Jim Steinbacher is sharing our vision of cloud-managed networking tomorrow at WISPAPALOOZA 2011.

What: HOW TO FLOAT ON THE CLOUD: CLOUD COMPUTING AND AVAILABLE SERVICES

When: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 2:15 PM to 3:15 PM

Where: WISPAPALOOZA 2011, The Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas

Description:  While your wireless signal floats on the airwaves, your data floats on the cloud.  Learn how you can use cloud based programming and hosted solutions to minimize your overhead and operate more efficiently.

The discussion targets WISPs, resellers and MSPs and asks an essential question:  How do you make money and improve efficiencies using cloud services?  With CloudCommand, the answer is easy.

CloudCommand-powered networks deliver everything needed to deploy, configure, secure and manage business-grade Wi-Fi solutions to SMBs/SMEs at a price they can afford.  We’re opening the market for managed Wi-Fi to millions of businesses as demand for robust wireless connectivity surges.

Third-party administrators manage these networks remotely through the cloud, saving time and boosting profitability.  But that’s just the beginning.

CloudCommand’s Networking as a Service (NaaS) model empowers WISPs, resellers and MSPs to expand their managed-services businesses to include wireless support.  With CloudCommand, it’s easy and profitable to build new and recurring revenue streams.  CloudCommand’s cloud-managed networking means better efficiencies and better profits.

Learn more about the CloudCommand solution.

The D-Link DAP-2565 Wireless Access Point Is Seriously Serious

The tech team at HotHardware.com highlights our newest CloudCommand-powered networking product, the D-Link DAP-2565.  With the launch of the DAP-2565, D-Link becomes the first OEM vendor to offer a complete CloudCommand portfolio of indoor, outdoor and plenum-rated cloud-managed access points to SMB/SME customers.  Here’s what contributing writer Ray Willington had to say:

Plenum-rated. Networking. Cloud. Small biz. Mix those all together with D-Link, and you’ve got the company’s new DAP-2565 Wi-Fi Access Point, which is designed for indoor plenum deployment in above-ceiling airspace installations. The new Cloud-Managed solution provides small and medium-sized businesses, as well as K-12 and hospitality environments, with a secure, reliable and affordable way to manage their networks.

As a new member of the D-Link Cloud-Managed Access Point family, the DAP-2565 delivers business-grade features at a lower cost than other enterprise solutions, including flexible IEEE 802.11n performance, Power Over Ethernet (PoE) support for installation in areas where power outlets are not readily available, and secure guest access and control privileges for individual users. The DAP-2565 also utilizes CloudCommand, which allows end users and value-added resellers (VARs) and managed service providers (MSPs) to easily and quickly set up, secure and remotely manage high-performance wireless networks with multiple access points through a Cloud portal, saving significant time and resources. In addition, the DAP-2565′s plenum-rated metal chassis meets specific requirements to be flame retardant and have low smoke production for placement in air passageways.

Read the story.

D-Link Expands Its Product Portfolio of CloudCommand-Powered Networking Solutions

D-Link, the worldwide leader in delivering networking connectivity to SMB/SMEs, continues to take the lead in moving its customers into the cloud.

Today, the company released its latest CloudCommand-powered networking device.

With the launch of the new DAP-2565, D-Link becomes the world’s first OEM to offer a complete portfolio of indoor, outdoor and plenum-rated cloud-managed access points to SMB/SME customers.

All three leverage the CloudCommand platform and deliver to SMB/SMEs an unbeatable combination of:

• Business-grade features
• Consumer usability
• Affordability

Also, the three products can be managed simultaneously from the same user-friendly CloudCommand dashboard – a key advantage that highlights the platform’s ease of use.

Today’s milestone underscores the industry’s rapid march toward cloud-managed networking solutions and a model of Networking as a Service (Naas).  Over the next several months, many vendors will add a portfolio of cloud-managed networking products to their lineups and many will do so by leveraging CloudCommand.

Read the release