Meru Networks Introduces MobileFLEX Architecture with Context-aware Application Layers to Support Mission-Critical Wireless Applications

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – March 19, 2013 – Meru Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:MERU), a leader in virtualized wireless LAN solutions, today announced the availability of the Meru MobileFLEX architecture. MobileFLEX features Meru's new Context-aware Application Layers (CALs), Apple Bonjour support, enhanced multi-vendor policy enforcement, cloud and 802.11ac readiness. MobileFLEX gives IT departments a unified ability to overlay mission-critical applications onto existing wired or wireless networks while simultaneously lightening the BYOD load. 

"Implementing Meru's MobileFLEX architecture will enable us to scale and manage Apple Bonjour services across our campus, improve the initial deployment of MDM-managed iOS devices and provide efficient guest access for visitors and trainers on our network, but that's just the beginning," said Charles Thacker, director of technology at Farmington Municipal Schools. "Among other enhancements, the new Context-based Application Layers in MobileFLEX allow us to allocate and protect bandwidth for specific mission-critical applications such as student assessment and digital learning. It's a solid foundation and framework for our growing mobile future."

"Enabling enterprise mobility is an increasingly complex set of initiatives," said Zeus Kerravala, founder and principal analyst with ZK Research. "Simplification of the access, policy and management layers of mobility architectures are critical to ensure a high quality mobile environment that delivers a consistent user experience. Meru's MobileFLEX architecture takes a big step in that direction by delivering an agile, flexible mobile environment."

Highlights of the Meru MobileFLEXArchitecture

FLEX Accessprovides flexibility through multi-channel, single channel, virtual cell and CAL deployment modes to tackle the increasing density and mobility issues brought on by BYOD.

• New Context-aware Application Layers (CALs) allow dynamic segregation and context-based mapping of growing mission-critical, enterprise-grade and consumer-grade application traffic to physically different access points and/or channels. CALs can be overlaid on existing wireless LAN networks from competing vendors. This gives IT departments a seamless path for migrating mission-critical applications still running on wired networks to Meru CALs. For example, Meru's 'Uninterrupted Care Network'™ (UCN) solution (http://bit.ly/141EM8P), announced at HIMSS 2013, applies CALs to enable hospitals to offer dedicated support for a variety of "Life-Critical," "Mission-Critical" and "Consumer-Critical" healthcare devices and applications.
• Continuation of an attractive 802.11ac investment-protection plan (http://bit.ly/Z9R3Qw) that allows customers that purchase Meru AP332s today to upgrade to a future 802.11ac-capable access point from Meru for only $499.

FLEX Controlprovides the flexibility of centralized, distributed and VMWare cloud-ready deployment options to support campus, remote and home-office deployments and features the following:

• With significant deployment flexibility, the new 802.11ac-ready Systems Director (SD) 6.0 is scheduled for beta release in Q2. SD 6.0 will feature enhanced, centralized, distributed and VMware cloud-ready virtualized controller options, IPv6 support for greatly enhanced client scalability and enhanced device fingerprinting for more accurate and secure BYOD onboarding.
• Attractive entry-level virtual controller bundles, featuring a VMware-based controller and 10 AP licenses, with prices starting at $999.

FLEX Policy defines and enforces network access policies across any wired and wireless networks and features the following:

• The new Service Connect feature supports context-based policies for managing Apple Bonjour services while simultaneously addressing the chatty protocol's multi-cast traffic explosion issue.
• The New IDM 13.2 solution, in addition to automating guest access and BYOD on-boarding, features a full-featured scalable radius server, eduroam integration, high availability active/active failover using VRRP and global language support for 38 languages.

FLEX Management provides single pane of glass management, security and troubleshooting across the entire access network layer and features the following:

• Full SolarWinds integration provides a single pane of glass for wired and wireless network management.
• New E(z)RF 4.0, currently scheduled for release in Q2, features flexible spectrum management capabilities that allow supported access points to simultaneously support wireless services and on-demand wireless monitoring. This helps identify Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi interference sources such as Bluetooth devices and microwave ovens.

FLEX Solutions greatly simplify Wi-Fi roll-outs with leading education, healthcare and hospitality applications and feature the following:

• Proven Microsoft Lync integration in real-world deployments for unified communications and collaboration.
• LanSchool integration for classroom management.
• The Meru Education-Grade (MEG™) solution (http://bit.ly/15vW5Oh), driving Uninterrupted Learning™, designed to solve colleges' and universities' BYOD issues and support their learning-essential applications.

New Controller and Access Points

Meru also introduced two new hardware devices designed to extend the deployment flexibility of the MobileFLEX architecture.

• The new MC1550 is an 802.11ac-ready entry-level controller that supports up to 50 APs and 1,000 client devices.
• The new single radio 802.11n AP1014 access point with four built in Ethernet ports for in-room deployments.

"On the one hand, many enterprises are still reluctant to cut the final Ethernet cord for mission-critical applications such as telemetry in healthcare and student assessment in education," said Manish Rai, vice president of corporate marketing at Meru. "On the other hand, IT is struggling to scale consumer-grade services such as Apple AirPrint and AirPlay on their campuses. These conditions cannot co-exist. The Meru MobileFLEXarchitecture is designed to provide a unified approach to addressing both ends of the spectrum by giving IT the unprecedented levels of flexibility and scalability to address the challenges triggered by BYOD."

Meru Channel Partners Voice Enthusiasm for the MobileFLEX Architecture

"Meru's MobileFLEX architecture demonstrates Meru's understanding of the breadth of the challenges customers are facing when deploying WLAN solutions," said Jennifer Jabbusch Minella, CISSP, HP MASE, vice president of engineering for Carolina Advanced Digital, Inc., a Meru Platinum Sales Partner. "This framework addresses all the unique requirements in today's wireless world. It just makes sense."

"Meru's MobileFLEX provides a clear vision and focus on implementing a leading edge wireless solution while simplifying the management and support requirements," said Joel Gates, director of sales for Integra Data Systems Corp., a Meru Platinum Sales Partner.

"With Meru's MobileFLEX architecture, wireless has come of age, delivering enterprise networking to a world of wireless consumer devices," said Rob Leggett, director of sales at Siracom UK, a Meru Platinum Sales Partner."Enterprises demand security and control, reliability and application integrity, performance and scalability, without increased demands on IT services teams.Consumerization delivers new classes of users, new classes of devices and high densities of highly mobile users.Meru MobileFLEX meets the demands of each, delivering the ultimate wireless experience, under the full control of the enterprise."

For more information about Meru MobileFLEX, visit the MobileFLEX launch landing page on the Meru web site: http://bit.ly/ZNqPEc. There you will find additional links to videos, whitepapers, applications briefs and much more!

Please also join WLAN industry expert Craig Mathias of the Farpoint Group and Robert Crisp, vice president of worldwide system engineering at Meru for a Webinar entitled, "Advanced WLAN Architectures for BYOD and Beyond." The event takes place Tuesday, March 26 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. PDT. Register here: http://bit.ly/Yr837z.

This news release contains forward-looking statements about Meru Networks expectations, hopes, plans, intentions, or strategies, including, but not limited to statements regarding: the company's cloud and 802.11ac readiness, the ability for MobileFLEX to act as a framework for a growing mobile future, the ability of customers to upgrade to a future 802.11ac-capable access point from Meru for $499, the beta release of Systems Director 6.0 and E(z)RF 4.0 in the second quarter. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions, which, if they do not fully materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties include those described in Meru Networks' documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements in this news release are based on information available to Meru Networks as of the date hereof. Meru Networks assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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