Extreme Networks unveiled a new line of switches and wireless access points (WAP) alongside improvements to its ExtremeCloud IQ management console at the company's annual Connect conference Wednesday.

These advancements, part of what Extreme Networks is calling its Universal Platform, seek to address the different requirements of customers, explained Mike Leibovitz, head of Americas in the Office of the CTO at Extreme Networks, in an interview with SDxCentral.

"If you think about a system that was designed for retail and a system that was designed for stadium, they're not the same thing," he said. "The Universal Platform gives us a way to bring that hardware perspective to every customer and instrument them based on the use case."

According to Leibovitz, this platform is designed to operate sort of like a white box on which the most appropriate operating system — what he calls a persona — can be loaded.

Extreme Networks will start with a new line of wired and wireless hardware, beginning with the ExtremeSwitching 5520 series and AP300C and AP400C WAPs.

The 5520 series is available as a 24- and 48-port gigabit switch, or with a combination of 1 Gb/s, 2.5 Gb/s, and 5 Gb/s ports. A 24-port 10 Gb/s switch is also available with support for 10 Gb/s and 25 Gb/s modular uplinks. These switches feature integrated multi-watt power-over-Ethernet ports designed to power the company's line of WAPs.

Complimenting the switches are two WiFi 6 WAPs. The AP300C is a dual-band radio-equipped access point built around an all-new system-on-a-chip. The WAP is capable of delivering 2.4 Gb/s of throughput concurrently on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios. Meanwhile, the more powerful AP400C can deliver 4.8 Gb/s of throughput on the 5 GHz channel.

The AP400C also features full-time threat detection capable of identifying rogue devices and guarding the WLAN against attacks. Both access points feature software selectable radios capable of dual 5 GHz connectivity.

Leibovitz adds that during onboarding in ExtremeCloud IQ, this hardware is automatically provisioned with a persona based on the environment it will be operated.

ExtremeCloud IQ today also received a bevy of value-added features including wireless intrusion protection, guest access, location services, IoT management, and compliance apps. ExtremeCloud IQ is the evolution of Aerohive's HiveManager cloud onboarding and management console, which was acquired with the purchase of the company last year.

Extreme Networks claims its competition offers these services as standalone applications at a "substantial additional charge." Extreme, however, believes these are "essential services" and has added them to its Pilot tier at no additional cost.

Despite calling these essential services, it should be noted that customers will still need to pay for Extreme Networks's premium tier to take advantage of this functionality.

Alongside these new capabilities, Extreme Networks is also launching a mobile application designed to provide IT departments an easy way to monitor and respond to changes on the network from anywhere.

Extreme Network's 5520 series switches are slated for release in November, while the company's WiFi 6 WAPs will launch in January.

Improvements to ExtremeCloud IQ will begin rolling out over the next 90 days, and the mobile app is expected to launch on all major app stores by Oct. 1.