New Linksys Partnerships Put Focus on ISPs
Alliances with Axiros, Plume aim to help with deploying, managing Wi-Fi networks
The partnerships will help Internet service providers (ISPs) manage their increasingly complex wireless networks at a time when businesses and consumers are embracing more mobile and distributed tech environments.
The Lowdown: Linksys, a unit within Beklin International and Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT), announced partnerships at CES 2020 this week with Axiros, which focuses on telecommunications and Internet of Things (IoT) device management, and Plume, which has cloud-based solutions around Wi-Fi and online security.
The Details: Linksys is integrating Axiros’ Remote Device Management platform – which includes provisioning and management software for enterprise devices and customer premise equipment (CPE) – into its own Velop mesh Wi-Fi system, which can cover an entire business.
The combination of the two will enable ISP customer service teams to quickly resolve customer issues by giving them instant insights regarding network quality and to remotely address issues. At the same time, the ISPs are able to provide Wi-Fi mesh solutions.
Details regarding the partnership with Plume were sketchier, but the goal is to combine Linksys’ hardware with Plume’s cloud-based solution to give ISPs more options when providing Wi-Fi coverage.
The Buzz: “ISP operators of all sizes can now work with two respected brands who are committed to open standards, product excellence, and flexibility,” said Belkin CTO Brian Van Harlingen. “Not only that, but they can do so knowing that we have developed a strong partnership, focused on serving them.”
“Working together, Axiros and Linksys are providing operators in the telecommunications market – including traditional carriers, cable broadband MSOs, and ISPs of all types – with a powerful management platform for the Linksys Velop, and an exciting, intuitive visualization of mesh Wi-Fi performance data,” said Michael Shaw, CEO of Axiros North America. “In a partnership several years in the making, two best-in-class brands are offering the market a new level of efficient device management, stunning performance visualization, and situational awareness.”
Regarding the Plume partnership, Van Harlingen said that “there’s a great amount of admiration and respect for the platform Plume has created for ISPs to manage the quality of Wi-Fi in a person’s home.”
