MERU NETWORKS INTRODUCES NEW WIRELESS
BACKBONE SYSTEM™ TO ENABLE THE ALL-WIRELESS ENTERPRISE
Innovation Delivers Service Fidelity to Business-Critical Voice
and Data Applications for the Emerging All-Wireless Enterprise
Las Vegas, NV, Interop 2006 — May 1, 2006
Meru Networks, the global innovation leader in wireless
infrastructure for the All-Wireless Enterprise, today announced
a revolutionary new system that allows IT organizations to
deploy a completely wireless LAN infrastructure, from client
access to the network core. The Meru Wireless Backbone System™
eliminates the need for wiring in the distribution and access
networks for both voice and data, and gives enterprise users
completely un-tethered access to business-critical applications
with the same reliability, security and service fidelity they
have come to expect from traditional wired, switched networks.
The Meru Wireless Backbone System is the first wireless solution
in the industry to address the emerging All-Wireless Enterprise,
evidenced by a growing need amongst enterprises of all types
including universities, K-12, hospitals, utilities,
manufacturers and government agencies, to deploy wireless as a
primary infrastructure. As enterprises continue to experience
the clear cost and productivity benefits of an increasingly
mobile workforce, and adopt a wide array of mobile devices,
mobile applications, and IP telephony solutions, they are
deploying wireless for business-critical applications, rather
than simply for convenience. This growing trend mandates that
the wireless network infrastructure deliver the same levels of
quality, reliability and predictability as wired networks. With
the Meru Wireless Backbone System, enterprises can extend
wireless networks that may have been installed initially for
convenience, into full overlay-over-wired networks, or transform
entire remote, branch or headquarter office networks into high
performance, all-wireless environments.
"Enterprises are beginning to take their wireless networking to
the next level, recognizing the productivity and cost benefits
they can achieve by unwiring more of their users and offices,”
said Richard Webb, Directing Analyst, Wireless Broadband and
Mobile for Infonetics Research. “Meru is addressing this trend
with a solution that allows enterprises to move towards
deploying all-wireless environments."
The new Meru Wireless Backbone System consists of:
• Meru AP150-WB a new, dual radio access point designed for
low-density environments
• Meru Radio Switch RS4000-WB, a new version of Meru’s RS-4000
Radio Switch with software that delivers new, enhanced
capabilities to enable wireless backbone links
• Meru AP208-WB, a new version of Meru’s AP-200 access point
with software that delivers new, advanced features to enable
wireless backbone links
• Meru Wireless Backbone Software application for the Meru line
of MC Controllers
Together, these components enable pervasive and seamless
enterprise-wide all-wireless access. Similar to wired Ethernet
networks which use a hierarchical internetworking design model
consisting of access layer switches, distribution layer
router-switches and a core layer – all connected with wires –
the Meru Wireless Backbone System, with its uniqueAirChannel™
Backbone Links, lets IT organizations build a reliable, scalable
hierarchical network comprised of an all-wireless access layer
and a high performance, all-wireless distribution layer, all
connected over a wireless backbone. Leveraging Meru’s patented
Air Traffic Control technology and its pioneering innovations in
over-the-air QoS, security and Virtual Cell technology, the Meru
Wireless Backbone System delivers all of the capabilities
traditionally associated with wired networking solutions.
The Meru Wireless Backbone System delivers the following
industry-leading benefits:
• Reduces the costs associated with building out the enterprise
LAN by more than 70%. By un-tethering access points and
delivering a wireless access and distribution layer, the Meru
Wireless Backbone System reduces the high costs associated with
wiring new data and voice ports in offices, or for moves, adds
or changes. In addition, the Meru Wireless Backbone System
eliminates the need for rewiring if access points themselves are
moved or added to provide improved coverage.
• Support for business-critical voice and data applications over
a completely wireless LAN. The Meru Wireless Backbone System
extends Meru’s unique Air Traffic Control technology to the
entire wireless LAN – allowing customers to deploy
business-critical voice and data applications over wireless,
pervasively and reliably, with full QoS capabilities.
• Plug-and-play with the industry’s leading wired networking
infrastructure products. Meru’s Wireless Backbone System extends
existing wired networks and enables cost-effective, high
performance wireless overlay to installed wired networks.
• Gives IT a cost-effective alternative for hard-to-wire
locations. With the Meru Wireless Backbone System, IT
organizations can now deliver network access in locations not
thought possible before. With the Meru Wireless Backbone System,
IT organizations can pervasively cover facilities that were
previously too difficult or cost-prohibitive to wire.
• Provides QOS over the wireless backbone. The Meru Wireless
Backbone System allows enterprises to guarantee quality of
service for clients, as well as services, regardless of their
geographical location in the network. A centrally- managed QOS
policy extended over the wireless link and wireless clients
means that every wireless device obtains access to the network
as provisioned by the administrator.
• Provides highly secure and fast backbone links. Meru’s
Wireless Backbone System includes AES-encrypted wireless
connections to secure the wireless network links. Hardware
encryption ensures fast and scalable access and, with AES,
ensures that no intruder is able to eavesdrop on the wireless
link.
• Improves bandwidth utilization on the wireless backbone. The
Meru Wireless Backbone System incorporates full-duplex
technology with dynamic link optimization and rate-adaptation.
These unique AirChannel Backbone Links provide hierarchical,
increasing bandwidth toward the network core to significantly
improve over-the-air performance on the wireless backbone – a
capability that was not previously possible
• Future Proof Architecture As wireless standards and
technologies evolve, the Meru Wireless Backbone System
architecture protects enterprises’ investments and further
increases capacity by seamlessly incorporating new and emerging
standards such as 802.11n.
“More enterprises are experiencing the numerous benefits of
mobility and wireless technology and, as a result, are eager to
extend their wireless networks pervasively to reduce the costs
of wiring branch offices, cover areas that are difficult or
costly to wire, and to give their users access to voice and data
applications anytime, anywhere,” said Meru President and CEO,
Ihab Abu-Hakima. “The Meru Wireless Backbone System delivers the
scalability, security, reliability and QoS necessary for this
significant shift to the All-Wireless Enterprise.”
He added, “Just as we anticipated the growth of the wireless
VoIP market two years ago, and responded with innovations that
enable toll-quality voice over wireless, we have seen our
customers moving from deployments of wireless for convenience,
to real, business-critical wireless networking, and have
responded to their requests with the Meru Wireless Backbone
System.”
Pricing and Availability
Pricing for the Meru AP150-WB is $995. The AP208-WB is priced at
$1,295, and the RS4000-WB is priced at $2,995. All prices are
U.S. list. Existing Meru customers can upgrade their Meru
controllers, APs and Radio Switches with the Wireless Backbone
Software, starting at $595 per AP208 and $1,595 per RS4000. The
complete Meru Wireless Backbone System will be available in
July, 2006, and will be demonstrated at Interop 2006 in Las
Vegas, Nevada, May 2-5, 2006, in Meru’s booth, #1761.
About Meru Networks
Meru Networks is the global leader in wireless infrastructure
solutions that enable the All-Wireless Enterprise. Its industry
leading innovations deliver pervasive, wireless service fidelity
for business-critical applications to major Fortune 500
enterprises, universities, healthcare organizations and local,
state and federal government agencies. Meru’s award-winning Air
Traffic Control technology brings the benefits of the cellular
world to the wireless LAN environment, and its WLAN System is
the only solution on the market that delivers predictable
bandwidth and over-the-air Quality of Service with the
reliability, scalability, and security necessary to deliver
converged voice and data services over a single WLAN
infrastructure. Founded in 2002, Meru is based in Sunnyvale,
California. For more information on Meru Networks and its
products, visit www.merunetworks.com or call (408) 215-5300.
