Bluesocket Plays Nice with Others

Burlington, MA-based Bluesocket this week announced several agreements to build
interoperability with several hotspot vendors and products from Interlink Networks
of Ann Arbor, MI, in conjunction with the latest edition of its gateway software,
version 2.1.

The new software is currently available for use on all three of the Bluesocket
Wireless Gateways, products which sit between an enterprise’s access points
(wireless base stations) and the rest of the network, acting as a gateway between
wireless and wired components. Version 2.1 adds support for 802.1Q
VLANs, transparent single sign-in for 802.1X and other authentication advances,
a display for network monitoring, and login page customization so the first
page a user sees can be turned into a marketing tool.

Bluesocket is building in interoperability with Interlink Network’s security
products, and vice versa. Interlink makes Secure.XS (pronounced "Secure
Access"), a $2500+ Linux and Windows-based solution for 802.1X authentication,
authorization, and accounting (AAA). Interlink recently announced that Secure.XS
has added support for the Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol (PEAP)
in addition to EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, Cisco’s LEAP, MD5, and others.

In the cases where a customer could benefit from the different features of
the two company’s products, they’ll co-market for each other. The hard part
of making the products work together has already been accomplished.

Bluesocket is also trying to facilitate easier public access by working with
Wi-Fi hotspot providers iPass, Airpath
Wireless, and GRIC Communications. The
company’s Wireless Gateways will be interoperable out of the box with each provider’s
network in the United States. The agreement also covers sales and marketing
efforts.