Integrated and ICT Infrastructure provider, Vox Telecom, has entered into a strategic collaboration with Ruckus Wireless, Inc. to provide customers with an integrated Wi-Fi solution offering for existing and new market requirements.

According to a joint statement issued by the partners the collaboration will see Vox Telecom standardising its Wi-Fi offering on Ruckus Wireless to provide the company with "a convenient and integrated product set" across both the consumer and business arenas.

Dederick Venter, executive head of outsourced technology at Vox Telecom, said, "As we are rapidly expanding our services offering into both fibre-to-the-business and to-the-home, we were faced with new Wi-Fi connectivity requirements from our customers and needed a Wi-Fi player that was not only a technology leader, but had an extensive product range to meet our exacting demands from home users right up to enterprise. We believe we have found that with Ruckus Wireless."

According to the partners the JV has been established at a time when the demand for fibre for publicly available Wi-Fi networks is increasing in South Africa, and service providers are looking for technology partners that put development and innovation at their core to meet these growing requirements.

Riaan Graham, sales director for Ruckus Wireless sub-Saharan Africa said, "Given the reliance on mobile access to data, businesses and consumers are looking for always-on connectivity. Wi-Fi provides this cost-effectively, but it has to be flexible enough for service providers to customise it according to the demands of the market. Video streaming, home automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) is growing locally and consumers are demanding a richer experience to take advantage of these value added services, as well as services that were traditionally not available. While fibre provides a foundation for connectivity, it is Wi-Fi that will accelerate digital citizenry in the months and years to come."

In addition to providing a full range of products and a centralised management platform, Ruckus has also enabled Vox Telecom to reduce its Wi-Fi installation lead time from 45 days to less than 14.

"Fibre-to-the-home and to-the-business is opening up new opportunities and value added services. This dynamic new collaboration is certain to take South Africa into the connected future," concludes Venter.