My good friends over at Sputnik have been very busy. At $185, their new AP 160 (buy it) is probably the least expensive centrally managed hotspot access point in the world. It's got a built-in four-port router so that you can hook up 3rd party wireless access points and manage those, too. And a replaceable antenna, so you can add that higher-gain omni or directional antenna to get long-range wireless coverage.

They also have a new, $195 Plug-In for Pre-Paid Cards that works with Sputnik Control Center so hotspot venues can attract and reward paying customers, and cut off bandwidth hogs.

Sputnik Control Center, the Sputnik AP 120 (buy) and the new AP 160 were built with a simple philosophy in mind: (1) give customers enterprise-class wireless management for commodity-class access points, and (2) keep the technology open and flexible so that customers can test, build, and grow wireless networks in ways that best fit their unique business models.

Want to offer free wireless? Sputnik is the least expensive way to go, and you get all the management tools and captive portal capabilities to brand your wireless offering.
Want to charge for wireless access? Sputnik handles all user authentication and tracking, and provides open APIs that let you connect Sputnik Control Center with your preferred billing system.
Want to offer a mix of open and secure/restricted wireless access at your workplace or school? Sputnik gives you security, control and flexibility.

Sputnik's founding philosophy is paying off: Sputnik boasts nearly 200 paying customers and the list is growing daily.

As Mike Landman, CEO of 3rd Wave, a leading hotspot provider in Atlanta, puts it:

"We looked at a lot of options, but settled on Sputnik because their technology is the most cost-effective and the easiest to deploy--just drop off an access point at the hotspot, plug it into broadband, and you're up and running."

Where else can you build a centrally managed 20-AP hotspot, or unwire a small city, for less than $5,000? Kudos to Sputnik for giving hotspot providers the easiest, most cost-effective, and most flexible tools for building wireless networks. And may a thousand flowers bloom...