Cisco has announced an evolved architecture that helps empower businesses to meet and exceed mobility demands and move beyond basic wireless networking into the next generation of business mobility – transforming the way business is done by fostering broader collaboration and new levels of productivity. This announcement is part of Cisco Motion – Cisco's vision for business mobility that delivers practical solutions to integrate mobile devices, applications, security and disparate networks into a unified platform.

The cornerstone of the Cisco Motion vision is the Cisco 3300 Series Mobility Services Engine (MSE). This appliance-based platform offers an open application programming interface (API) for consolidating and supporting an array of mobility services across wireless and wired networks. Cisco is releasing four initial software offerings for the MSE: Cisco Context-Aware Software, Cisco Adaptive Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (wIPS), Cisco Secure Client Manager and Cisco Mobile Intelligent Roaming. The Cisco MSE and its software can be integrated with the Cisco Unified Wireless Network portfolio, Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco-compatible devices to expand the reach and value of an enterprise's mobility system.

Numerous application and solution partners have integrated or plan to integrate with the MSE. This partner ecosystem includes Nokia and Oracle, technology partners like AeroScout, Agito Networks and Airetrak, as well as industry-specific application partners like IntelliDOT and Johnson Controls (healthcare) and OATSystems (manufacturing).

"Today's business mobility challenges cannot be solved using only traditional wireless LAN solutions when multiple network elements are converging and need to collaborate. Cisco's Motion approach is a services-oriented network architecture that creates a mobility network as a platform for integrating key business strategies, processes and goals," said Brett Galloway, senior vice president of Cisco's Wireless and Security Technology Group

Cisco Motion: Accelerating the Evolution of Business Mobility

Information Technology (IT) departments must increasingly manage disparate networks (Wi-Fi, cellular, passive RFID, personal wireless, sensors, Ethernet), to handle a rising number of devices and more applications. The Cisco Motion approach includes the industry's first mobility architecture that addresses these challenges by unifying networks, securing client devices, centralising client provisioning, facilitating collaboration and opening up development.

The Cisco MSE's initial service offerings include software components like Cisco Context-Aware Software, which captures contextual information from a full range of sensors, mobile devices and RFID tags over the Cisco Unified Wireless Network, allowing businesses to move beyond basic location tracking and gather detailed information about assets like location, temperature, availability, and the application used.

Cisco Mobile Intelligent Roaming facilitates seamless handoff of dual-mode mobile devices between Wi-Fi and cellular networks based on availability, real-time network information and user location. It integrates with numerous offerings from service providers, third-party vendors and mobile device manufacturers.

Cisco Adaptive Wireless IPS is a new intrusion-prevention system that delivers the feature depth of an overlay solution with the full benefits of an integrated solution. It integrates wireless threat
detection, mitigation, vulnerability scanning and performance monitoring into the wireless network. It also assists in protecting against rogue access points and clients, wireless hacking and day-zero threats.

The final announced MSE software product, Cisco Secure Client Manager, centralises the security and management of provisioning various mobile devices via the Cisco Secure Services Client 802.1X solution over wired, Wi-Fi, cellular and other wireless networks. It addresses one challenge faced by IT: managing the connectivity and security of Wi-Fi and other mobile devices.