Ruckus Wireless, Inc. has introduced the first cloud-based Smart Wi-Fi Access Management Service (SAMS) to help organisations easily design, manage and monetise Wi-Fi services from an intuitive ‘point-and-click’ cloud-based portal.

The first of a new breed of Ruckus Smart Wireless Services (SWS), SAMS enhances the guest experience by letting businesses quickly create and customise wireless hotspots for single or multiple sites without building extensive data centers, or deploying expensive and cumbersome infrastructure typically required for offering managed Wi-Fi access services.  SWS is a flexible framework for layering value-added software services such as Cloud-based wireless access (SAMS) and Ruckus SPoT location services, as well as virtualised management software over carrier-class Smart Wi-Fi infrastructure products and platforms to give organizations unprecedented flexibility to build reliable, scalable and robust Smart Wi-Fi solutions based on their specific requirements, and to enable channel partners to easily migrate to recurring revenue-based service models.

Further, SAMS combines all the necessary infrastructure components and service elements into a single solution.  Ideal for any organization or venue offering managed public wireless access, such as shopping malls, stadiums, convention centers, airports and retail outlets, SAMS transforms the traditional model for offering managed Wi-Fi services by moving local network infrastructure, such as WLAN controllers, authentication servers, captive portals, advertising engines and content filtering into the cloud as a service.

As WLAN management shifts to the Cloud, venue owners now have access to cost-effective, easy to manage enterprise grade wireless at a lower total cost ownership (TCO). SAMS delivers flexible deployment and management options through a simple, Web-based portal that allows highly customized Wi-Fi access services to be defined and created in a matter of minutes, and provided at a low TCO.

Customers simply define the attributes of the wireless access service required at a given venue, and then have an authorised Ruckus Big Dog channel partner turn on the services for them, either for existing Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi customers and/or those who desire to keep a traditional wireless LAN (WLAN) configuration (onsite subscription) or after just installing the requisite number of Ruckus ZoneFlex access points (APs) onsite (hosted subscription).  SAMS does the rest. In turn, the venue benefits from best-in-class wireless connectivity at each site, supported by an easy-to-use Cloud-based platform that scales on demand within a ‘pay as you grow,’ fully managed cloud service.

At the core of SAMS is the Ruckus SmartCell Gateway (SCG), key Ruckus controller technology hosted within the Cloud in partnership with Global Reach (see related release). The Ruckus SCG is a carrier-class wireless management platform that provides unprecedented scalability and secure multi-tenancy support.

Pricing and Availability

Available worldwide beginning in May, the Ruckus Smart Access Management Service (SAMS) is priced on a yearly subscription basis per access point (for either a one, three or five year subscription period), with 24/7 customer support included. As a fully public access cloud service, where WLAN management is required for either existing or newly deployed Ruckus ZoneFlex Smart Wi-Fi access points, SAMS is priced at $265.50 per AP per year (hosted subscription). For environments where local WLAN management is already provided or desired through onsite Ruckus ZoneDirector controllers, SAMS cloud-based public access services are priced at $180 per access point per year.