Aerohive Networks revealed it would be offering its popular Aerohive’s Bonjour Gateway (News - Alert) solution for free. The free version (via download only) will take advantage of Bonjour’s technology, allowing projects within the network to use access points to access data rather than equipment.  

The downloadable version will give users the ability to manage their AirPrint, Airplay, file sharing, collaboration applications and other Bonjour-compatible products across the entire network. 

Aerohive (News - Alert) Networks said allowing users to access its gateway solution is just another step in the direction of building its own Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) network. BYOD networks can help reduce the operational costs associated with businesses.

Basically, it allows employees to bring their own mobile devices to their place of work and use those devices instead of equipment provided. This has numerous benefits. Employees are more likely to take care of their devices because they personally own them, employees feel more comfortable because they can chose a technology they wish to use for work rather than being assigned a company device, and it can save money on high-priced devices that companies would normally have to purchase for their employees.

Additionally, the gateway will also remove the inherent limitations of the Bonjour protocol, decide which services can be accessed across VLANs, work in both Aerohive and Non-Aerohive networks, and allow for the plug and play model.

“In today’s world, BYOD has quickly moved from an idea to an expectation in corporate and education environments. Aerohive’s Bonjour Gateway is the only solution in the market that enables Bonjour across enterprise networks without requiring an end-to-end, single-vendor infrastructure,” Aerohive said in a statement.

People want the ability to work anywhere, at any time, and on any device. BYOD has become more popular due to its convenience and flexibility. Even the University of Pennsylvania has begun implementing its own BYOD network.

“Here at Penn, we try to stay ahead of the technology curve and have had requests to integrate Apple (News - Alert) TVs using AirPlay into some key areas and classrooms at the University,” said Colleen Szymanik, network engineer, University of Pennsylvania. “With Aerohive’s Bonjour Gateway, there is now a seamless solution to connect across subnets and present lesson plans and presentations on Apple TVs via AirPlay (News - Alert). We are extremely happy with this innovation technology and look forward to continuing to work with Aerohive in the future.”

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