May 2010

Webinar Series Continues

Summit Helps Unitech Certify Five Devices for CCX

Bluebird Joins Strategic Alliance Program

Summit Receives Awards

Software Release Introduces Summit Supplicant

Software Version 2.3 Introduces Summit Supplicant

Version 2.3 of Summit Software Summit software version 2.3 (V2.3) is a production software release for a Summit radio module or card on a device that runs one of the following operating systems:

  • Windows Embedded CE 6.0 (all releases), 5.0, or 4.2
  • Windows Mobile 6.5, 6.1, 6, or 5.0 or Pocket PC 2003
  • Windows XP Professional or Embedded
V2.3 can be used with any 10 Series, 20 Series, or 22 Series radio module or card. In addition, V2.3 can be used with the new SDC-PE15N PCI Express Mini Card. For details on new features and enhancements in V2.3, consult the release notes.

Summit Software Components Every version of Summit software is a set of integrated components that includes:

  • A device driver, which controls the operation of the radio on the device
  • An 802.1X security supplicant, which handles authentication and encryption key management
  • Utilities, including an administrative application called the Summit Client Utility (SCU)
SCU uses the Summit software developer’s kit (SDK) to interact with the device driver, and the driver interacts with the supplicant.

In Summit software versions prior to V2.3, if you tap the About button on the Main tab of SCU, a dialog box displays the following text: Powered by DeviceScape Software. Portions of this product are © 2006-2009 Devicescape Software, Inc. All rights reserved.

The portion of Summit software that is “Powered by DeviceScape Software” is the supplicant. Prior to V2.3, the supplicant in Summit software relied on software licensed from Devicescape.

The Summit Supplicant Because security is such a critical piece of the Summit value proposition, Summit made a strategic decision to develop and use its own 802.1X supplicant rather than continue to rely upon licensed software. By using a Summit supplicant instead of a licensed supplicant, Summit can provide its customers with:

  • Better support, including faster troubleshooting and resolution of security-related issues
  • More timely maintenance (i.e. software fixes) for security-related issues
  • More timely enhancements in the area of security

After nearly a year of design, development, integration, and testing, Summit is introducing the Summit supplicant in V2.3.

As verified by extensive internal and external testing, the initial version of the Summit supplicant offers all of the functionality that was offered by the supplicant used in V2.2 and prior versions of Summit software. As a result, all SCU and SDK functions related to security – authentication, encryption, and encryption key management – are the same. Summit customers need not make any modifications to any applications they have developed in conjunction with the Summit SDK.

The new Summit supplicant does, however, introduce a new EAP type, PEAP-TLS. This new EAP type has the same options as PEAP-MSCHAP.

Products and Support Summit products released before 2010 – 10 Series modules, 20 Series cards, and 22 Series cards – will operate with V2.3 and with versions prior to V2.3. Devices in the field that are equipped with these Summit products need not be upgraded unless capabilities found in V2.3 and later are required.

Summit products introduced in 2010 and beyond, including the SDC-PE15N PCI Express Mini Card, will operate exclusively with the Summit supplicant. Customers adopting these newer Summit products are encouraged to upgrade to V2.3 (or above) on all Summit-powered devices to provide a consistent Summit software feature set across all devices.

V2.3 is a fully supported general release and is backward compatible with all prior versions. All bug fixes and feature enhancements will be provided in software releases that contain the Summit supplicant. No bug fixes and feature enhancements will be provided in software releases prior to V2.3.

If you have any questions, then please contact Summit’s support team.