SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire - Sep 20, 2011) - Meru Networks, Inc., a pioneer in 802.11n wireless LAN solutions, transforms on-campus wireless connectivity with the industry's only wireless solution for network-in-control Wi-Fi access replacing unscalable client-in-control network access approaches. Meru has achieved record growth across the primary, secondary and higher education markets as educational institutions make the move to Meru to support their strategic mobile learning initiatives and address the rigorous density, device diversity and mobility demands of today's campus environments.
Meru's stunning growth in sales in the education market since 2009 is driven by the company's unique approach. Meru puts the network, not client devices, in control, enabling Air Traffic Control™ and Airtime Fairness™. Unlike client-controlled approaches to wireless, Meru's System Director OS virtualizes the WLAN by pooling the access point resources, partitioning bandwidth and customizing the experience for each user based on device speed and application need. Meru's Air Traffic Control technology allocates bandwidth across the RF spectrum based on that need, while Meru's Airtime Fairness makes it possible for high-demand applications and devices to have fair access to the bandwidth they require without compromising network performance for slower wireless devices.
Education customers move to Meru to achieve the shared goal of pervasive, reliable, scalable and cost effective wireless LAN solutions in an environment that is increasingly inundated with Wi-Fi devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, e-readers and gaming consoles. Virtually all Meru customers replaced client-in-control systems from competing vendors and switched to Meru to support essential education services such as 1:1 laptop initiatives, video and multimedia for modern learning, and student and teacher collaboration. These initiatives require an increasingly higher class of wireless network than the consumer-grade WLAN products that are commonly installed on campuses today. Meru WLAN solutions are proven in campus environments of every size and configuration around the globe.
Students at all levels benefit from connected learning environments and interactive educational experiences whereby they can share ideas and communicate with other students and teachers. For example, in K-12 and primary school classrooms 1:1 laptop initiatives and online learning have quickly gained popularity for their ability to improve student performance. On campuses worldwide, wireless connectivity fosters collaboration with professors and fellow students, and enables more convenient and effective learning.
"Meru's wireless network powers our 1:1 laptop initiative and has enabled next-generation learning environments where students and teachers thrive," said Chris Carey, technology coordinator, Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, CA. "Our kids engage with vast sources of educational content on laptops and tablets. Reliable wireless connectivity is critical. The Meru network is reliable and cost effective and it allows our teachers to focus on engaging the students with rich educational experiences rather than losing precious class time acting as the IT helpdesk."
Universities Make the Move to Meru
Universities including Villanova University and Utah State University are among the thousands of schools that have standardized on Meru for wireless access across their campuses. Robert A. Mays, director, network and communications, Villanova University states, "Our job is to provide students and faculty with uncompromising network access -- and we have to do so without incurring additional costs or overhead. We moved to Meru because we needed to scale our network quickly, without expanding our IT team. With Meru, we are able to provide reliable, high-performance wireless connectivity for our students and staff anywhere on campus."
The explosive adoption of Wi-Fi devices by students and teachers could not have been anticipated and cannot be underestimated. In-Stat forecasts that 1.9 billion Wi-Fi devices will be in use by 2014 -- presumably, many of these will find their way onto college campuses. Just months after the release of the first iPhone, Wakefield Research did a survey for the Wi-Fi Alliance, which found that 48 percent of college students would give up beer before giving up Wi-Fi. Seventy-five percent also said that Wi-Fi access helps them get better grades. The first iPad, released in April 2010, sold 3 million units in the first 80 days -- a well-documented trend that continues today even as the iPad is joined by hundreds of other types of Wi-Fi devices. Today, industry sources are reporting that virtually 100 percent of college students have at least one Wi-Fi device on campus at all times -- and they all have the ability to access network resources continuously and simultaneously. These campuses require a state-of-the-art wireless network that controls the way devices access network resources to meet this demand.
"Wireless devices have changed the way students live, learn and communicate," said Ihab Abu-Hakima, CEO, Meru Networks. "Today, educators must support millions of students and faculty members who require access to network resources, and who regularly access the network simultaneously with a variety of devices and applications. To complicate matters further, educational organizations tend to have modest IT staffs and limited resources and budgets. Meru enables a reliable, pervasive, secure all-wireless educational environment that automates management and easily scales to meet escalating connectivity demands so IT staff are empowered to focus on strategic application initiatives rather than helpdesk issues. Meru manages the spectrum, so IT can manage the network, teachers can manage their classrooms, and students can manage their grades."
About Meru Networks
Meru Networks' virtualized wireless LAN architecture cost-effectively delivers the performance, reliability, predictability and operational simplicity of a wired network, with the advantages of mobility. Meru's solution represents an innovative, yet standards-based approach to wireless networking that utilizes virtualization technology to create an intelligent and self-monitoring wireless network, enabling enterprises to migrate their business-critical applications from wired networks to wireless networks, to become all-wireless enterprises. Meru's solutions have been adopted in all major industry vertical markets, including Fortune 500 enterprises, healthcare, education, retail, manufacturing, hospitality and government. Meru is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., and has operations in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. For more information, visit www.merunetworks.com or call (408) 215-5300.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Meru Networks expectations, hopes, plans, intentions or strategies, including, but not limited to statements regarding Meru's ability to provide pervasive, reliable, scalable and cost effective wireless LAN solutions in an environment that is increasingly inundated with Wi-Fi devices, the rise in client density, and the increased demand for WLAN capacity. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, 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 press release are based on information available to Meru Networks as of the date hereof, and Meru Networks assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
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