You should explain to distinguish the Aruba location-based service solution from a Cisco solution that the Aruba solution can use cost-effective and easy-to-deploy battery-powered beacons or leverage beacons built into existing Aruba Aps while Cisco forces customers to rip and replace existing Aps for location services support12. Aruba beacons are small, low-power wireless transmitters that broadcast radio signals at regular intervals that can be heard and interpreted by iOS and Android devices1. Aruba beacons can be deployed as standalone devices powered by batteries or USB, or integrated into select Aruba Aps1. Cisco location-based services rely on Cisco Aironet Active Sensor devices that require external power supplies and Ethernet connections2.

The company size and number of users is the primary deciding factor between proposing HPE OfficeConnect or Aruba solutions1. HPE OfficeConnect is a small business networking solution that offers affordable and scalable switches and wireless devices for locations needing only basic Layer 2 switching23. Aruba solutions are enterprise networking and security solutions that offer cloud-native management, AI-powered automation, edge-to-cloud security, and advanced features for campus, branch, remote, and data center locations456.

ArubaOS switches provide a Network AnalyticsEngine (NAE) that helps to monitor, troubleshoot and ensure the health of both the wired and connected wireless network123. This is an advantage over other switches that do not have this feature.