Aruba Networks

Press Release

ARUBA NETWORKS NEW BENCHMARK-SETTING 80GBPS MULTI-SERVICE MOBILITY CONTROLLERS AND 802.11N ACCESS POINTS ENABLE UNIFIED MOBILE NETWORKS

802.11n Wireless LANs, Identity-Based Security, Enterprise FMC Integration, Remote Access Are Converged Into One Common Solution for Mobile Users

Sunnyvale, CA, November 5, 2007 - Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN), a global leader in user-centric networks and secure mobility solutions, today announced a new generation of ultra high-performance Multi-Service Mobility Controllers and 802.11n Access Points. The new products make it possible to converge 802.11n wireless LANs, firewall-enforced user access control, cellular-to-Wi-Fi integration, and secure remote access into a single unified mobile network offering the speed of a wired network, the low total cost of ownership and adaptability of a wireless network, and the security and centralized management for which Aruba is well known. The new products are being highlighted in nationwide rollouts held in conjunction with distribution partners Avnet Technology Solutions, Catalyst Telecom, and Westcon Group.

"Our new products make it possible to deliver unified mobile applications that conventional wired and wireless networks simply cannot tackle due to architectural, integration, security, or performance limitations," said Keerti Melkote, Aruba's co-founder and head of products and partnerships. "These applications include, among others, high security all-wireless workplaces with no cabling, managing the smooth transfer of calls between Wi-Fi and cellular networks, and extending the enterprise network to remote users without using VPNs or managed clients. Unified mobile networks will support more applications, need less hardware, and have lower lifecycle costs than legacy port-based solutions, offering a lower cost solution today and a platform on which applications can be built in the future."

Aruba's new Multi-Service Mobility Module can be used with new, or retrofitted to existing, MMC-5000 and MMC-6000 Multi-Service Mobility Controllers, and features a 32-core, multithreaded network processor with dedicated cryptographic core processors. A field-reprogrammable Aruba Mobility Controller chip further boosts performance and enables functionality to be modified in the field. With a full complement of four hot-swappable modules, an MMC-6000 Multi-Service Mobility Controller offers a sizzling 80Gbps throughput and supports up to 32,768 users, 2048 local access points, and 8,192 remote access points. Remote access points offer a simple means of securely connecting remote users and sites without having to manage clients, making them ideally suited for telecommuter and business continuity applications.

To better serve the needs of small to medium sized enterprises, Aruba has expanded its controller line-up by introducing the MMC-3000 Multi-Service Mobility Controller family. These three controllers provide up to 8Gbps throughput and support up to 2048 users, 128 local access points, and 512 remote access points. The wireline capability of the new controllers extends Aruba’s award-winning, identity-based security technology to wired networks, eliminating the need for extra-cost security processors.

Aruba's new dual-radio AP-124 and AP-125 802.11n Access Point family is based on 2nd generation RF chips and high performance MIPS CPUs with hardware-accelerated cryptographic processing. Featuring 3x3 Multiple-In Multiple-Out (MIMO) operation, a field-upgradeable design, and dynamic frequency selection (DFS) support, the new access points can be used for wireless access, intrusion detection monitoring, traffic analysis, secure enterprise mesh, or remote access point applications. The mode of operation is determined by network-downloadable software, a feature that allows the access points to be re-purposed and updated without the expense of physically accessing the device.

The access points include automatic Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) management that adjusts the number of MIMO streams based on available PoE current. 802.3af, 802.3at, and PoE + are all supported, minimizing the need to change PoE infrastructure to support 802.11n. An AP-124 or AP-125 access point will operate in 3x3 MIMO mode using existing 802.3af PoE infrastructure over a single Ethernet cable. A local 5VDC power source is provided for non-PoE applications.

To protect access points installed in unsecured areas, or during use in distributed encryption modes of operation, security credentials can be stored in a TPM microcontroller. The TPM specification was defined by the TPM subgroup of the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) for the secure generation and storage of cryptographic keys, and is widely implemented on devices for which high security is paramount. The TPM vault protects the access point against attack and physical theft.

Carnegie Mellon University will be an early adopter of the AP-124 and AP-125 Access Points and new Multi-Service Mobility Controllers. "We're excited by what we've seen in our early testing of the 802.11n access points," said Dan McCarriar, Assistant Director of Network Services at Carnegie Mellon. "802.11n will be a true inflection point, offering us the ability to deliver on a long-time vision: a campus wireless network that is not just an adjunct to the wired network, but a potential replacement for most applications. Aruba's AP-124 and AP-125 Access Points, in conjunction with the new Multi-Service Mobility Module, will provide us a secure, future-proof foundation for that vision."

"Networking is no longer wireless versus wires: given the capabilities and complexities of forthcoming technologies, voice, data and video must be examined holistically," said Michael King, Research Director at Gartner, Inc. "The best solution will be one that lays the foundation for future network-based applications, while utilizing existing clients and infrastructure to access today's applications. This type of forward-looking, application-based thinking will enable users to leverage what they've already installed and adopt 802.11n at a pace that best suits them."

802.11n has focused attention on the ideal architecture for current and future unified mobile networks. Centralized forwarding, distributed multi-controller forwarding, split-tunnel forwarding, and mesh forwarding have all been proposed as architectural solutions. "For us the point is moot - we support them all at the same time and without core upgrades. Our blisteringly fast platforms are ideally suited to become the heart of unified mobile networks, a role they will increasingly be asked to take in the days ahead," continued Melkote.

About Aruba Networks, Inc.

People move. Networks must follow. Aruba securely delivers networks to users, wherever they work or roam. Our mobility solutions enable the Follow-Me Enterprise that moves in lock-step with users:

• Adaptive 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi networks optimize themselves to ensure that users are always within reach of mission-critical information;
• Identity-based security assigns access policies to users, enforcing those policies whenever and wherever a network is accessed;
• Remote networking solutions and fixed mobile convergence ensure uninterrupted access to applications as users move;
• Multi-vendor network management provides a single point of control while managing both legacy and new wireless networks from Aruba and its competitors.

The cost, convenience, and security benefits of our secure mobility solutions are fundamentally changing how and where we work. Listed on the NASDAQ and Russell 2000® Index, Aruba is based in Sunnyvale, California, and has operations throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions. To learn more, visit Aruba at http://www.arubanetworks.com.

© 2008 Aruba Networks, Inc. AirWave®, Aruba Networks®, Aruba Mobility Management System®, Bluescanner, For Wireless That Works®, Mobile Edge Architecture, People Move. Networks Must Follow., RFProtect, The All Wireless Workplace Is Now Open For Business, Green Island, and The Mobile Edge Company® are trademarks of Aruba Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Media Contacts

Michael Tennefoss
Aruba Networks, Inc.
+1-408-754-8034
mtennefoss@arubanetworks.com

Patty Oien
Breakaway Communications.
+1-415-358-2482
poien@breakawaycom.com

© 2010 Aruba Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Specifications are subject to change without notice.