Azimuth unveils Wi-Fi test system

Azimuth Systems, a new developer of automated wireless network test platforms, launched a Wi-Fi test system this week, and also announced $12.9 million in funding.

Validation of Wi-Fi network and hot spot performance is an under-addressed market, and critically so as corporate enterprises begin to evaluate Wi-Fi’s reliability and availability as a precursor to deployment, said Graham Celine, vice president of marketing at Azimuth Systems.

The Acton, Mass., company’s W-Series 802.11 WLAN Test Platform is an automated lab-based system for testing off-the-shelf access points. It creates an isolated and controlled RF environment that eliminates the need for testing in screen rooms, and creates testing configurations that can be re-used. The system can test one access point or several, under varying traffic and client load conditions.

While Azimuth is initially targeting Wi-Fi, with its test capabilities, the W-Series could be upgraded eventually to test other wireless data technologies, such as WiMAX metropolitan area network, Celine said.

"Service providers might also want to use it for benchmark tests," he added. Wi-Fi vendor Symbol Technologies is Azimuth’s first customer for the system.

Azimuth also said this week that it has raised about $12.9 million in preliminary and second round capital from North Bridge Venture Partners and Kodiak Venture Partners to fund the development and delivery of its testing products.

The company was founded by Fanny Mlinarsky, formerly of Agilent and Scope Communications, and is guided by an executive team and board of directors with many years of industry experience behind them.

"Azimuth has an opportunity to accelerate broad enterprise deployment of wireless LANs by adding confidence in the systems scalability. The cost, capability and time associated with testing have been a bottleneck in the industry," said Rich Redelfs, former CEO and President of Atheros Communications and a member of the Azimuth Board of Directors.