8/14/2006 -- Cisco Systems Inc. isn't always locked in death-rattling competition with its rival networking vendors. Consider the case of AirMagnet Inc., an upstart vendor which last week announced a new product -- AirMagnet VoFi Analyzer, which complements Cisco's CallManager and other products.

VoFi Analyzer provides analysis of encrypted voice-over-WLAN (VoWLAN) networks. It uses AirMagnet's capture and analysis engine to classify voice flows, measure MoS scores, and provide RF- and protocol-level analyses for different voice metrics. In Cisco CallManager environments, notes Joel Conover, a principal analyst for enterprise infrastructure with consultancy Current Analysis, VoFi analyzer can integrate with CallManager to provide detailed call information and correlation from wired to wireless networks.

For this reason, Conover argues, VoFi Analyzer has the makings of an essential complement to Cisco CallManager. "The AirMagnet VoFi analyzer tool provides enterprise customers with valuable insights into the complex interactions that occur between wireless LAN protocols and voice over IP protocols," he writes. "The package provides tight integration with...CallManager, making this product a slam dunk for Cisco converged wireless and voice deployments. However, the tool maintains much of its value regardless of the backend PBX used."

In many ways, VoFi Analyzer was designed as a Cisco-friendly play from the get-go: Most unsecure VoIP signaling protocols can be analyzed to determine calling party, called party and other call details, Conover notes, but AirMagnet currently depends on integration with Cisco CallManager to get this information. "[This] is fine for some customers, but leaves a large chunk of others out in the cold," he notes. "Likewise, as secure voice protocols start to crop up, AirMagnet will need to be able to serve as a trusted communications partner. To do this, AirMagnet will need to work with vendors like Cisco, Nortel and Avaya to ensure that they can be introduced as a trusted partner for secure communications."

Regardless, Conover thinks the timing is spot on for AirMagnet and VoFi Analyzer. "AirMagnet is hitting the market with its first-generation product at just the right time. By the time VoFi achieves mainstream status in 2007 and 2008, AirMagnet will have a mature, field-tested product," he comments. "And today, early adopters can take advantage of the product and benefit from the functionality it delivers. AirMagnet and Fluke Networks have both focused on bringing analysis of WiFi and voice together, and other competitors will likely follow suit as the market for converged voice continues to expand." -Stephen Swoyer