Firetide is an American, international provider of wireless mesh network technology. Based in the Silicon Valley, Firetide designs and sells hardware and software for wireless networks. Firetide's products have been used in over 2000 installations in 40 countries.
Corporate history
Firetide is a provider of hardware and software for wireless infrastructure mesh networks. Firetide was founded in 2001, under the name Landmark Networks. In 2003 the name changed to Firetide, which would "better reflect the company's mission and culture". One year later, after considerable investments from American investors, the company moved from Hawaii to Los Gatos, CA. Firetide Inc. is currently headquartered in Campbell, CA, CA with a R&D office in Bangalore, India.
Hardware
HotPort 7000 Series. Indoor and outdoor wireless mesh node, equipped with dual 802.11n MIMO radios. The radios are able to operate at 2.4, 4.9 and 5.0 GHz and allows for a throughput of up to 400 Mbit/s. FWB-200 Series. Indoor and outdoor wireless point-to-point bridges, equipped with dual 802.11n MIMO radios. The point-to-point bridges are used to connect distant, wireless networks to each other. HotPoint 5000 Series. Indoor and outdoor wireless access points, equipped with dual 802.11n MIMO radios. The access points allow for a wireless Wi-Fi network to be connected to the mesh. Software development stopped in 2015. HotClient 2000 Series. Indoor and outdoor wireless customer premises equipment. A product that extends the range of a Wi-Fi network thanks to a more powerful radio compared to standard consumer laptop radios. Firetide FWC 2050 WLAN Controller. A product that can control up to 50 access points and ease the configuration of the access points through central management. It is controlled through a web-interface. Firetide IVS 100. Integrated video solution, a combined IP-camera and mesh node.
Software
HotView Pro. Software that centrally manages the mesh nodes and the other Firetide hardware connected to the mesh network. Firetide Mobility Controller. Software that enables Firetide's mesh to be compatible with mobile units, such as connecting to a moving subway train.
Routing protocol
Firetide use their own, proprietary AutoMesh routing protocol to control the data flow in the mesh.
Notable installations
In 2006, Firetide announced that they were going to supply their technology to Singapore's Wireless@SG project. The project's goal was to install a nationwide network to enable public Wi-Fi as well as video and voice traffic. In 2007, Firetide installed its technology on the construction site of Burj Khalifa. The construction workers had experienced problems with their communication equipment as the tower grew taller. Firetide could provide a wireless mesh network that VoIP radios could use, which allowed coverage where Walkie-Talkies could not. In 2009, Firetide got the assignment to install a wireless mesh network in Seoul Metropolitan Subway. The request from the South Korean subway operator for live camera coverage came after a fatal arson in 2003. Compared to its competitors, Firetide was the only one that could deliver reliable wireless connection to the station and the moving trains. The systems included cameras on the train stations and on the trains. The design aimed to avoid more fatal accidents by distributing real-time video feed both to the train drivers and to the operators in the command central. The installation included 1000 mesh nodes as well as 650 cameras. January 2009, Firetide installed a system at California State University, Long Beach.
Partnership
In May 2010, Firetide announced an Original Equipment ManufacturerOEM agreement with Netgear. The license agreement enabled for Netgear to use Firetide's WLAN Controller software in their new portfolio of WLAN controllers.
Acquisition
Firetide, Inc., announced it has been acquired by UNICOM Systems, Inc., a Division of UNICOM Global, on May 19, 2014. Details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
