New enhancements and additions incorporated into the general availability release of Cognio’s Spectrum Expert spectrum management platform support the rollout of innovative new services such as wireless VoIP. With Spectrum Expert, IT managers have the ability to create detailed device-vs.-channel charts that quickly shows the impact of specific devices on each WiFi channel and how they are affecting channel and overall network performance. With this knowledge, IT managers can elect to remove, move, shield, or replace specific devices to minimize impact and maximize WiFi network performance.

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Cognio has also added the ability for wireless technicians to perform a full spectrum capture at remote sites that can be saved for later review and analysis or transmitted via the wireless network back to headquarters for real-time analysis. This enables IT managers to create a baseline and compare spectrum changes over time.

Many enterprises are adding IP voice to their WLANs to improve the productivity of their employees. However, putting these "real-time" services onto the WiFi network is bringing new challenges for enterprise IT managers. Unlike wired networks, the WiFi environment changes dynamically, bandwidth is shared, and it is prone to interference from other devices in the 2.4-GHz junk band. To make real-time wireless applications work, enterprises need to understand the spectrum environment in which WiFi operates, as well as what the fingerprint of the spectrum is. This is a challenge given the unlicensed nature of 802.11-based WLANs and the rapid increase in devices such as Bluetooth headsets, cellular phones, and PDAs.

Cognio's technology plots the energy of the spectrum and reads and lists the devices that are using the spectrum in real time. By understanding what devices are actively using the spectrum by name (such as cordless phone, Bluetooth device, and microwave ovens), Spectrum Expert helps enterprises set policies to deal with the consequences of intrusions into the spectrum.

For example, an enterprise could set a policy that cordless headsets and handsets are not allowed in the environment. Devices necessary for the mission of the businesses—-such as Bluetooth-enabled scanners that read bar codes—-can be powered down to alleviate interference. Wireless mice can be swapped out for alternative options that operate in other spectrum bands. Leaky microwave ovens can be replaced or shielded. And, in exteme environments, enterprises might opt for other types of general shielding against interference.

Spectrum Expert 2.0 is generally available today and lists at $3995. The technology in Spectrum Expert is also available in other products from OEM vendors.