The Cisco 8500 Series Controller provides centralized control, management, and troubleshooting for high-scale deployments in service provider and large campus deployments. The 8500 series provides flexibility to support multiple architectures in the same controller - centralized controller switched for campus, Cisco FlexConnect™ for lean branches managed over the WAN as well as mesh support for deployments where full Ethernet cabling is unavailable. Cisco 8500 Series Controllers automate wireless configuration and management functions and allow network managers to have the visibility and control needed to cost-effectively manage, secure, and optimize the performance of their branch networks. As a component of the Cisco Unified Wireless Network, this controller provides real-time communications between Cisco Aironet® access points, the Cisco Prime™ Infrastructure, and the Cisco Mobility Services Engine, and is interoperable with other Cisco controllers.