Next-Generation Networking Based on New 802.11ac Standard Takes Off in Australia

Aruba Networks (NASDAQ: ARUN), a leading provider of next-generation network access solutions for the mobile enterprise, today reports significant adoption of its 802.11ac solutions in Australia from both existing and new customers. The growth in mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and the many personal and corporate applications they support, is driving the need for the greater bandwidth provided by the recently ratified 802.11ac standard.

Announced in May 2013, Aruba’s 802.11ac solution, which includes the 220 Series Access Points (APs) and patented ClientMatchTM technology, can improve speeds and bandwidth for 802.11ac by up to 1.3 Gbps and can also improve performance on existing 802.11n clients. With the availability of new higher performance 802.11ac client devices and 20 percent coverage benefits afforded by the standard, many organizations have already begun deploying 802.11ac-based wireless LANs. Aruba is seeing rapid adoption across numerous industries including education, healthcare and professional services.

According to Steve Coad, Managing Director of Australia and New Zealand for Aruba Networks, the demand for 802.11ac solutions in Australia has been growing steadily and this growth is expected to continue in 2014.

IDC networking analyst, Tafadzwa Marasha, supports Coad’s assertion by stating, “IDC forecasts that 802.11ac will grow at a similar pace as that experienced by its predecessor, 802.11n. As part of this growth, we expect to see vendors that have shown commitment to ushering in this next generation of wireless LAN positioned at the forefront once the technology becomes mainstream.”

Marasha continued, “With the explosion in mobile device growth currently taking place in the market, I see an opportunity for early mover organizations to take advantage of the gigabit connectivity offered by 802.11ac. There are a variety of mobility-driven use cases that are ideal for the current iteration of 802.11ac. These range from some classroom based applications in schools to video conferencing and rich media consumption in traditional enterprise organizations.”

Innovative organizations that have made the move to deploy the Aruba Networks 802.11ac solution in Australia include Medibank, The Catholic Education Office Sydney, South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE, UNE, UTS, KPMG, Feros Care, Mount Waverley Secondary College and Ravenswood School for Girls and Stuartholme School.

“The rapid take up in Education, both K-12 and Tertiary, is no surprise as this sector is typified by dense cells with large download and upload requirements, the very situation for which 802.11ac was designed,” said Coad. “The benefits of implementing an 802.11ac solution are evident today, with many of our customers operating on these networks for several months. With new models of Apple and Android devices, as well as laptops, shipping as 802.11ac capable, now is the time for organisations to take the leap forward. Early adopters of 802.11ac and customers can be confident they will be successful with Aruba’s proven enterprise grade, high performance Wi-Fi solution.”

The Aruba Networks 802.11ac solution is differentiated in three key areas:

• Better performance as evidenced by independent test labs: The Aruba AP-225 earned the Miercom Performance Verified Certification following an independent test. This test demonstrated the Aruba AP-225 model was able to deliver 768.8 Mbps throughput, well above the minimum of 500 Mbps as required in the specifications.
• Eliminates sticky clients: Aruba ClientMatch technology eliminates sticky clients by continuously gathering session performance metrics from mobile devices and using this information to intelligently steer each one to the closest AP and best radio on the WLAN. In competitive testing, an Aruba WLAN with ClientMatch delivered up to 94 percent improved device performance than a Cisco WLAN.
• Aruba’s application visibility for real-time Unified Communications and Collaboration applications such as Microsoft Lync provides the highest quality of service supporting business grade voice and video.

About Aruba Networks, Inc.

Aruba Networks is a leading provider of next-generation network access solutions for the mobile enterprise. The company’s Mobile Virtual Enterprise (MOVE) architecture unifies wired and wireless network infrastructures into one seamless access solution for corporate headquarters, mobile business professionals, remote workers and guests. This unified approach to access networks enables IT organizations and users to securely address the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) phenomenon, dramatically improving productivity and lowering capital and operational costs.

Listed on the NASDAQ and Russell 2000® Index, Aruba is based in Sunnyvale, California, and has operations throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific regions. To learn more, visit Aruba at http://www.arubanetworks.com. For real-time news updates follow Aruba on Twitter and Facebook, and for the latest technical discussions on mobility and Aruba products visit Airheads Social at http://community.arubanetworks.com.

© 2014 Aruba Networks, Inc. Aruba Networks’ trademarks include Aruba Networks®, Aruba The Mobile Edge Company® (stylized), Aruba Mobility Management System®, People Move Networks Must Follow®, Mobile Edge Architecture®, RFProtect®, Green Island®, ETips®, ClientMatchTM, Virtual Intranet AccessTM, ClearPass Access Management SystemsTM, Aruba InstantTM, ArubaOSTM, xSecTM, ServiceEdgeTM, Aruba ClearPass Access Management SystemTM, AirmeshTM, AirWaveTM, Aruba CentralTM, and “ARUBA@WORKTM. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.