Ruckus Introduces IoT Suite to Enable Secure IoT Access Networks

Ruckus Networks, an ARRIS company, today announced the Ruckus IoT Suite, which enables organizations to readily construct a secure IoT access network that consolidates multiple physical-layer IoT networks into a single network. The Ruckus IoT Suite further speeds time-to-return-on-investment (ROI) and reduces deployment cost by allowing for the use of common infrastructure between the wireless local area network (WLAN) and the IoT access network.

According to market research firm IDC, IoT edge infrastructure is emerging as a key growth domain and an enterprise priority to support the burgeoning IoT applications space. Within the IoT edge infrastructure market— expected to reach nearly $3.4B by 2021— network equipment is the fastest-growing segment, with compound annual growth (CAGR) in excess of 30%, driven by the need for application continuity and high performance coupled with reliable and secure connectivity.

“Secure IoT network deployments in the enterprise have not yet taken off due to a fragmented market with point solutions serving one-off applications or use cases,” said Rohit Mehra, vice president, network infrastructure, IDC. “A multi-standard IoT access network that leverages existing hardware, software and security capabilities at the edge is a must for most organizations to deploy IoT. The Ruckus IoT Suite addresses these specifics and is a good first step to enabling broader multi-mode IoT network rollouts.”

“Organizations are looking to the IoT to help improve operational efficiencies, increase revenue and enhance the customer experience, but their ability to do so is constrained by today’s siloed IoT networks,” said Dan Rabinovitsj, president, Ruckus Networks. “Ruckus is addressing the market by providing the critical ‘glue’ between the world of sensors, cameras and things with the world of big data and analytics. Not only have we addressed the fragmentation at the PHY layer, we have created an open API to both public and private clouds which permits easy and secure integration with a variety of partners.” 

Building a Consolidated IoT Access Network

An IoT access network must consolidate multiple access technologies while delivering the provisioning, management and security capabilities found in modern IP-based networks. Such a network must facilitate inter-endpoint communication and provide integration with analytics software and services. The Ruckus IoT Suite consists of:

·         Ruckus IoT-ready access points (APs)—APs that accommodate Ruckus IoT modules to establish multi-standards wireless access for Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi IoT endpoints; and translate non-Internet protocol (IP) endpoint communications into IP.

·         Ruckus IoT Modules—Radio or radio-and-sensor devices that connect to a Ruckus IoT-ready AP to enable endpoint connectivity based on standards such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee and LoRa protocols.

• Ruckus SmartZone Controller—A WLAN controller that provides a single management interface for both the WLAN and the IoT access network.
• Ruckus IoT Controller—A virtual controller, deployed in tandem with a Ruckus SmartZone OS-based controller, that performs connectivity, device and security management functions for non-Wi-Fi devices; facilitates endpoint coordination, and provides APIs for northbound integration with analytics software and IoT cloud services.

Securing the IoT Access Network and IoT Endpoints

Security concerns top the list of factors that contribute to IoT solution deployment delays. The Ruckus IoT Suite addresses such concerns through a multi-layered approach, including digital certificates, traffic isolation, physical security and encryption.

Enabling the IoT Solution Ecosystem

Enterprises and organizations implementing IoT must reduce payback period and increase ROI in order to justify deployments. By establishing inter-IoT solution policies with industry-leading operational technology and customer technology, solution providers’ organizations can more quickly realize IoT investment gains. Using a Ruckus IoT access network and solutions from Ruckus IoT ecosystem partners offer benefits to hotels, schools and universities, and smart cities by improving end user experiences.

The Ruckus IoT Suite will be generally available in the second quarter of 2018.