Fortress security lets Rajant pursue more military contracts
Wireless LAN vendor Rajant yesterday announced partnership with Fortress Technologies to embed Fortress’ security solution into Rajant’s BreadCrumb devices to make the Rajant mobile mesh networking system more appealing to security-conscious customers like the military.
Rajant’s BreadCrumb devices are lunchbox-sized wireless routers that use a “unique” mesh-networking algorithm that is designed to minimize latency, said Paul Hellhake, Rajant’s president of technology and manufacturing. Priced between $2500 and $12,000 apiece, BreadCrumbs include multiple radios operating on the 802.11 standard and feature a self-healing, self-configuring architecture that allows for rapid deployment in emergency situations.
One concern for Rajant was security, which is a significant issue for any wireless product, Hellhake said. Although there are several methods to secure the information traveling on the network, the network itself was susceptible to attacks that could hamper performance. Other solutions could be layered onto the network but requiring users to do so was something Rajant wanted to avoid, Hellhake said.
“The whole point of a BreadCrumb network is fast deployment,” he said. “If you’re having to manage everything [to create a secure environment], those kind of things can become cumbersome to first responders. Integrating Fortress’ solution into the BreadCrumb devices is expected to resolve all of these issues, said Hellhake and John Dow, Fortress’ vice president of business development.
“Security is not only about protecting the information,” Dow said. “We’re also securing the infrastructure itself.” With the integration of Fortress security, Rajant should be positioned to bid on more military work, as well as upgrade its existing agreements with the U.S. Army, Hellhake said. Fortress President Janet Kumpu said the relationship calls for both the Rajant and Fortress sales teams to cross market their solutions.