Colubris Gets Secure

WiFi vendor Colubris Networks Inc. has released a new access point aimed at the ever-more-crowded enterprise wireless intrusion detection and prevention marketplace.

The Waltham, Mass.-based company claims that its MAP-330 Integrated Sensor/AP is different from the rest because it can operate as a normal access point and a security scanner at the same time. This, Colubris says, will reduce the cost and complexity of deploying IDS-type systems in the office and elsewhere.

Carl Blume, director of product marketing at Colubris, says that the way the company uses the radios on the AP makes it unique.

"As far as I know we're the only one that has two full a/b/g radios, each of which could be configured to work on either 2.4GHz or 5GHz," Blume says. "This means that a user can dedicate one radio to client access and ... the second radio to full-time scanning of both bands."

In theory, this means that the Colubris box would alleviate the need for a separate WiFi security overlay. The AP is yet another option in the crowded IDS/IPS monitor market, where Colubris will be competing with dedicated security vendors such as AirMagnet Inc. and Network Chemistry Inc. as well as larger players such as Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) and IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM).

In fact, many dedicated wireless security vendors have been trying to broaden their appeal to a wider audience recently with new products and marketing strategies. Analysts and industry figures alike are anticipating a shakeout of the IDS/IPS niche as larger players get more involved. (See AirMagnet: Life Beyond Security.)

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Unstrung