Airespace

Last updated

Airespace, Inc.
FormerlyBlack Storm Networks, Inc.
IndustryComputer networking
Founded2001;23 years ago (2001) in San Jose, California
Founder
  • Pat Calhoun
  • Bob Friday
  • Bob O'Hara
  • Ajay Mishra
DefunctJanuary 2005 (2005-01)
FateAcquired by Cisco Systems

Airespace, Inc., formerly Black Storm Networks, was a networking hardware company founded in 2001, manufacturing wireless access points and Controllers. The company developed the AP-Controller model for fast deployment and the Lightweight Access Point Protocol, the precursor to the CAPWAP protocol. [1] [2] [3]

Corporate history

Airespace was founded in 2001 by Pat Calhoun, [4] Bob Friday, [5] Bob O'Hara, [6] :70 and Ajay Mishra. [7] The company was venture backed by Storm Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners and Battery Ventures. [8] In 2003, it entered into an agreement to provide OEM equipment to NEC. [9] In 2004 it signed an agreement with Alcatel and Nortel to provide equipment to the two companies on an OEM basis. [10] [11] :8

Airespace was first to market with integrated location tracking. [12] Within a year and a half, the company grew rapidly into the market leader of enterprise Wi-Fi. [13]

Cisco Systems acquired Airespace in 2005 for $450 million; [14] this was one of 13 acquisitions Cisco made that year and the largest up to that point. [15] Airespace products were merged into Cisco Aironet product line. [16]

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