Symbol Technologies, a company that specializes in enterprise mobility solutions, announced today what it says is the first ever radio frequency (RF) wireless switch (RFS7000) capable of bridging all RF technologies—including RFID, 802.11n, mesh, voice over wireless LAN (VoWLAN) and WiMAX.

In its announcement about RFS7000, Symbol said the switch “is designed to support and consolidate Wi-Fi and emerging RF technologies,” enabling businesses to “efficiently and cost-effectively deploy and centrally manage wireless voice, data and infrastructure devices throughout the RF spectrum.”

In an article today, Laptop Magazine reporter Jeffrey Wilson noted that the RFS7000 supports up to two-hundred and fifty-six 802.11a/b/g access port, and enables Layer 3 roaming, “which allows mobile users to maintain a connection to high-bandwidth applications as they roam.”

Here is an image of the unassuming-looking RFS7000, courtesy of newscom.com.

Wilson’s conclusion is that, because the switch runs on Linux OS, it has definite promise to let “users to abandon piecemeal RF technology installations and allow them to leverage their investment on an ongoing basis rather than ripping and replacing hardware when it becomes obsolete.”

Symbol’s VP and General Manager of the company’s Wireless Infrastructure and RFID divisions, Anthony Bartolo, said in a statement that, “Business needs are driving the convergence of voice, video and data, effectively pushing the new mobile edge from the wired to the wireless touch point, and requiring the network to adapt to the changing needs of new mobile devices and applications.”

Bartolo continued: “The industry's first RF switch will provide the platform to integrate and manage current and future mobile devices and wireless technologies.”

Here are some of the key features Symbol is using to market its new product:

• Robust, scalable support for enterprise mobility

• Use of modular Wi-NG-based architecture

• 802.11n-ready

• Supports optional add-on modules for dual-mode (cellular/WiFi) handheld devices

• Integration with Symbol’s RF Management software