From the 'wires in the walls' files:

Some networking gear is small than others. HP ProCurve (NYSE:HPQ) is out this week with what I consider to be a really innovative new devices.

The HP ProCurve MSM317 Access Device looks like just a basic Ethernet wall jack. We've all seen plenty of those (and installed more than my fair share over the years).

This one is a little different though.

This wall outlet integrates an 802.11b/g wireless access point and includes PoE (power over Ethernet) as well as a four-port wired Ethernet switch. The device/outlet is centrally managed by any HP ProCurve MultiService Mobility controller.

That's right - a Wi Fi access point in the wall that is centrally managed. Sounds simple enough, but it has some profound implications for networking topologies.

You could use this device in place of other switching gear (since its managed), taking up less space and less effort to manage. Instead of trying to cover an entire building with Wi Fi coverage, just drop in one of these for every room. There is a clear use case for this in hotel type deployments (which is where HP ProCurve will be deploying this with Marriot).

This is one of those things that just makes you wonder why no-one thought about doing this before.