Upon leaving Madrid-Barajas Airport, Aerohive Networks' Director of Product Management Matthew Gast had an epiphany.

Utilising the public transport on his way to the centre of the Spanish capital, it was another connection which had Gast smiling in amazement.

"The bus had free Wi-Fi," laughed Gast, acknowledging that a regular form of public transport was making him productive in the least expected of places.

"It's surprising to me now but in a few years we'll be getting on buses saying 'what? this bus DOESN'T have Wi-Fi?'"

Adopting Aerohive's simple but effective mantra, Gast is forthright in his view on the blossoming wireless space.

"Fundamentally, the world wants to be connected," says Gast, who currently serves as chair of the Wi-Fi Alliance's security task groups. "And that's what we're doing at Aerohive."

Reducing the cost and complexity of today's networks with cloud-enabled Wi-Fi and routing solutions for a range of businesses, Aerohive finds itself at the heart of the wireless industry - the beating pump in its global aim of connecting people.

Author of, 802.11ac: A Survival Guide, Gast says the company thinks deeply about the differences between small and big networks, which while simple in its observation - can be complex to execute.

"From experience we’ve found it is common for IT people to say, ‘this works great in my house, but why doesn’t it work as well in the office?'

"While it's always been easier to achieve greater results on a smaller scale, we know how to locate Wi-Fi in a variety of places and locations - this is second nature to us."

A chief example would be Aerohive's controller-less wireless LAN architecture, ideal for 802.11ac networks because it eliminates the need to deploy the expensive, high-capacity appliances that are required to handle the increased processing burden that enforcing policy in high-speed networks creates.

Advocating the wireless office, Gast cites the first release of Apple's first MacBook Air in 2008 as the catalyst for a shift in thinking regarding Ethernet in the workplace.

"Here was a laptop which didn't have Ethernet," recalls Gast. "This was Apple's way of saying that they realise Wi-Fi is now good enough and that we don't need Ethernet anymore - it takes up space and it adds unnecessary weight.

"As a result, Wi-Fi is the obvious choice - low power, easy to connect and great range.

"Wander around any office and it could not thrive without Wi-Fi having taken on the role it has - largely in part to Aerohive's contribution in the industry.

"At Aerohive we worked on the premise that everybody would have two devices - their laptop and their phone - and you know what? We were wrong.

"What 802.11ac is doing is increasing the density that we can provide.

"Wi-Fi started off as a way of connecting laptops but throw the smartphone and tablet into the equation and now the game has changed."

Changed it has, but to suggest Aerohive moved with the times would be misguided, for they were already there - waiting in the wings.

Adopting the American sports metaphor - Aerohive doesn't run where the ball is, it runs to where the ball will be.

"We adopt a one step ahead theory for sure," adds Gast, who remembers a time when he petitioned to have Ethernet connections in student rooms back in the dark ages before Wi-Fi.

"We understand what the problems are, that people use Wi-Fi to both work and play and for Aerohive it is about going beyond connectivity.

"Connectivity simply isn't enough. It's now allowing people, whether that be at home or in the office, to do what they want with that connectivity and providing the subsequent services across those layers to ensure a seamless secure experience."

For Aerohive works on far deeper levels than its rivals, not consigned to the dull protocol of technology terminology and behaviour.

The company understands Wi-Fi, it realises its benefits and it thrives to ensure its customers take full advantage of the connected world.

"As I said, the world wants to be connected - and that's what we're doing."

Aerohive is giving away ten copies of 802.11ac: A Survival Guide, click here to go into the draw to win a signed copy.

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