Four of the top Wi-Fi vendors -- Cisco Systems, Meru Networks, Aruba Networks, and Trapeze Networks -- are focused on this market, and they are all helped by forces driving Wi-Fi into schools. These include heightened concerns for physical security, meaning deployment of wireless surveillance cameras; the need for economical ways to extend schools' phone systems; the presence of purpose-designed Wi-Fi products; the birth of "anytime, anywhere," on-demand instruction, and last but by no means least, the One Laptop per Child initiative, which was designed for children in developing countries, but which also means a growing availability of low-cost laptops for US students.
Each of those vendors, however, brings its own strengths and weaknesses to the table. Some have developed powerful educational distribution channels and partnerships already; some offer unique network architectures; some are priced for tight school budgets. Others may be hampered by the high cost of their products, by their status as non-public companies, or by lack of sales resources or technical support.
