Intel Unite: Choosing Small Business Mode vs. Enterprise Mode

Small Business Mode vs. Enterprise Mode

Intel Unite can be deployed in two different modes; Standalone or Enterprise. The mode selection depends on the following parameters:

• How many conference rooms are you deploying?

  • Small Business Mode is designed for small businesses that deploy no more than five conference rooms. Intel recommends limiting Small Business Mode to 25 users and 5 conference rooms.
  • Enterprise Mode scales deployments from 1 to 10,000 conference rooms.

• Must you remotely configure and manage the Dell OptiPlex Hubs?

  • Small Business Mode does not require a server to deploy or manage Hubs.
  • Enterprise Mode includes a Server component, to facilitate Hub monitoring and to control Hub features.

• Do passwords meet your content protection security needs, or do you require SSL Certificate-based security?

  • Small Business Mode hubs are configured with an administrator-specified Shared Key (password) to secure the connections between Hubs and Clients. The Shared Key is provided on both the Dell OptiPlex Hub and the end-user’s Client to initiate a secure connection.
  • Enterprise Mode allows an administrator to secure the connections between Hubs and Clients using SSL certificates managed by the Server, instead of a Shared Key (password).

• How many nodes or subnets in your Company’s network?

  • Standalone Mode was designed for use by Small Business Professionals, where a dedicated IT department may not be available to manage and deploy network infrastructure and manage hub policies. Standalone Mode assumes that Hubs and Clients are connected to the same Flat Network (Hubs and Clients must be on the same subnet, sharing the same range of IP addresses).
  • Enterprise mode provides the flexibility to connect hubs and clients across subnets, and it can take advantage of Domain Name System (DNS) lookup Services. To allow the greatest level of company-wide flexibility, Intel recommends configuring Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDN) for Servers and Hubs deployed in Enterprise mode.

Enterprise Mode

In Enterprise Mode, the Intel Unite Server is used to Manage Hubs, Deploy PIN #’s, Host Client application downloads, and manage SSL certificates for Hub or Client Connections, and can support deployments of up to 10,000 Hubs.

Figure 1: Enterprise Mode

It is important to realize that presentations and meeting content are not distributed through the Enterprise Server. Hubs and clients negotiate direct connections across the network to share content. The server’s primary responsibilities are to prevent PIN collisions, host SSL certificates for secure connections, host downloads of the client applications (if not deployed through other means) and manage Intel Unite application policies (such as allowing or blocking certain application sub-features).

Small Business Mode

In Small Business Mode, up to five Intel Unite Hubs can be deployed independently on the same network, each negotiates a unique PIN number to allow simultaneous meetings.

Figure 2: Small Business Mode

Small Business Hubs and Clients can negotiate secure connections without the assistance of an Intel Unite Server on smaller unmanaged networks. Client Downloads are hosted directly on the Intel Unite Hub personal computer with a small pre-configured web portal.

Decided on your Enterprise or Small Business Deployment Strategy?

Depending on which mode best meets your company’s needs, your next stop is to review the Intel Unite Deployment Small Business Deployment or Enterprise Deployment summaries to get a brief overview of the deployment flow.