Aerohive Tapped for Apple-led ConnectED Effort

Wi-Fi infrastructure company Aerohive Networks has announced that it’s part of an Apple-led contingent that will be providing broadband tools to U.S. schools via the federal government’s ConnectED initiative. ConnectED aims to shrink the digital divide, as less than 30 percent of the nation’s schools have the broadband they need to teach using today’s technology, according to the U.S. government. 

Apple on Monday announced plans to donate $100 million in iPads, MacBooks, and other products and tools to the one-and-a-half-year-old ConnectED program, which aims to bring connectivity and the access to advanced learning technologies to 99 percent of schools in the United States by 2017. Aerohive today revealed it has been tapped to provide the wireless infrastructure – including 802.11ac wireless access points, switches, and cloud-based management – as part of the Apple effort.

The gear will be deployed and maintained by managed service provider Education Networks of America; JAMF Software will provide related mobile device management; and AT&T and Sprint will provide the wide area broadband connectivity. 

Details as to the scope and geography of the deployment will be announced by Apple in short order, says Bill Hoppin, vice president of business development at Aerohive Networks, who spoke with MSPToday yesterday.

Already a key player in the education vertical, Aerohive says it’s seen significant growth for its solutions in school, which like its affordability, ease of deployment, and incremental scalability. Hoppin adds that Aerohive has integrated Apple’s self discovery Bonjour capability into its Wi-Fi access points, which he says makes Bonjour more manageable and scalable. Aerohive a month ago announced iBeacon capability for its endpoints. The Aerohive Wi-Fi infrastructure also can detect real-time applications running on its networks by using the equipment’s on-board deep packet inspection technology, he adds. Founded in 2006, Aerohive is a fast-growing company that went public in March.