Cisco and Apple partnership for business mobility transformation

By 2020, 50% of all Internet traffic will be generated by Wi-Fi connections, according to a Cisco VNI forecast ( Cisco VNI in Russian ), and wired connections are only 22%. The remaining 28% will fall on connections over mobile data networks. Obviously, the value of a reliable Wi-Fi connection for business continues to grow, because more and more production processes depend on it.

Just over a year ago, Apple and Cisco announced a partnership to transform business through mobility. This year, Apple and Cisco have actively worked to ensure that owners of iOS 10 devices can get the best experience with applications. Cisco and Apple made changes to the standard interoperability of devices and Wi-Fi infrastructure, making the complex simple for both the user and the IT administrator. As a result, iOS10 devices and Cisco Wi-Fi networks can “recognize” each other, which leads to optimization of Wi-Fi connectivity and prioritization of business applications.

Optimize Wi-Fi connectivity

You may have used voice applications on your device, such as Jabber, WebEx, and others. Having connected to the Wi-Fi network, you begin to move and notice that from time to time the voice may disappear for a tangible period of time. This happens because the device switches to another access point, i.e. carries out roaming.
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The very fact of connecting to the network or switching to another access point is absolutely at the disposal of the client device. Why then Apple simply does not adapt their devices? Why do you need a partnership with Cisco?

The device makes the decision to switch, but does it have enough information for the optimal solution? The device constantly scans all channels (20 channels in 5 GHz for the RF) to detect access points for its SSID, and measures their signal level. Is the best access point with the strongest signal to switch? Perhaps not if there are already many clients connected to it. In addition, the device spends on scanning all channels battery life, thereby reducing the time to work before recharging.

Now, when an iOS device connects to a Cisco Wi-Fi network, your access point uses 802.11k to provide a list of 6 neighboring access points, and your iPhone for roaming will scan only 6 channels, spending 3.5 times less time and saving on charge batteries. When your iPhone approaches the border of its access point, the Cisco Wi-Fi network checks its location and uses 802.11v to provide a list of the best connection points for access points based on their signal level and current download. As a result, iPhone connects to the least loaded access point with the best signal level and thus has maximum performance for its applications.

Even with a short list of access points, switching can take time if you need to discuss authentication parameters. 802.11r solves this problem by negotiating authentication and ensuring fast roaming. This process is called Fast Transition. The moment your iPhone decides to disconnect and install a new one, it starts a discussion with a new access point, setting the stage for a quick switch.

However, the problem is that most networks do not use 802.11r, because Some older devices do not support it and do not "see" networks with activated 802.11r. The solution in this situation has traditionally been the creation of two SSIDs, one of which uses 802.11r, and the other is not. In a collaborative solution, the Cisco Wi-Fi network and Apple devices with iOS 10 recognize each other, and the network includes 802.11r selectively for your iOS 10 device, even if the SSID does not use 802.11r by default. This means that the device roams faster, applications run faster, and VoIP calls are not interrupted. The remaining devices also work without problems on the network.

The features described above are configured by default, which makes the task of implementing such functionality a simple task for the IT service.

Business Application Prioritization

In corporate networks goes a large amount of content with the same priority. Usually, applications are given one priority regardless of whether they are business applications - such as: voice communication, video conferencing, messaging, payment systems, or these are games, movies, social networks. As a result, business-critical applications share a network resource with non-business applications, reducing the quality of workflows.

There is a prioritization mechanism in the network through QoS. The problem is that you can configure QoS on your network, but you cannot control the “last mile” - the connection between the client device and the AP.

With iOS 10, application performance on Cisco infrastructure has been improved. Even in the event of overloads on a wireless network, devices with iOS and Cisco Wi-Fi allow prioritizing the most important applications and data over non-critical ones. The IT administrator only needs to whitelist the priority applications in the profile to the iOS devices through the Mobile Device Manager (MDM) system. By tagging applications, you place them on a toll highway.

When your iOS device connects to the Cisco network, the Wi-Fi network activates the device profile. Applications placed on “Fast lane” are prioritized, and the profile is specific to SSID. You can have different profiles and white lists, depending on whether you are on the office network, at school or at home. For the first time, your network QoS is combined with client QoS. As a result, when a user makes a call, the conversation is not interrupted, even if another wireless user loads the network with streaming video.

Availability

Internal tests, which Apple and Cisco conducted together, show that the new environment offers the following benefits:

- roaming is 8 times faster;
- up to 66% more reliable voice calls;
- perceptible battery saving device.

Wi-Fi optimization and prioritization of applications are already available.

Additional materials

• Cisco website
• Apple site
• Partnership Announcement, Tim Cook
• Partnership with Apple, Jeff Reed