MERU NETWORKS TEAMS WITH NETWORK-ACCESS
CONTROL LEADERS TO GIVE CUSTOMERS SECURE, NEXT-GENERATION WLAN
PERFORMANCE AND FREEDOM OF CHOICE
Customers to Benefit from Interoperability Between Leading NAC
Solutions and Meru's Advanced Mobility Infrastructure for Voice,
Data and Video
Sunnyvale, CA – March 12, 2007
Meru Networks, the leader in wireless infrastructure solutions
that enable the All-Wireless Enterprise, today announced it has
teamed with leading network-access control (NAC) vendors to help
customers leverage existing investments in network-access
control while deploying Meru's advanced Wireless Local-Area
Network (WLAN) System. Meru is working closely with a wide range
of partners, including Microsoft, Juniper Networks, Vernier
Networks and Lockdown Networks, among others.
These relationships—announced in tandem today with a new,
end-to-end security suite for the Meru WLAN System—give
customers maximum flexibility to configure an overall WLAN
solution that best meets their needs and budget, while allowing
them to leverage pre-existing technology investments or vendor
relationships. Working with NAC vendors is a critical component
of Meru's commitment to marrying the most advanced WLAN
performance and ease of deployment with the industry's highest
security standards.
"It's important for enterprises to understand that they do not
have to do a complete overhaul of their network infrastructure
when they install cutting-edge wireless LAN solutions," Mike
Schutz, group product manager of Security and Access Products at
Microsoft Corp. "Our Network Access Protection customers will
benefit from increased security and WLAN performance." Network
Access Protection is a policy enforcement technology built into
the Windows Vista and Windows Server (code-named "Longhorn")
operating systems that allows customers to better protect
network assets from unhealthy computers by enforcing compliance
with network health policies.
"Our strength in providing the most complete and advanced NAC
solutions depends on relationships with innovative companies
like Meru," said Karthik Krishnan, product line manager at
Juniper Networks. "We're pleased to work closely with Meru in
delivering powerful and secure networking solutions for the
largest and most demanding WLAN deployments at the world's
leading enterprises."
Meru's patented, virtual cell-based Air Traffic Control
technology brings the benefits of the cellular world to the WLAN
environment. It is the only industry offering that allows
enterprises to fully "untether" voice and Internet access so
their employees can roam freely throughout buildings while
enjoying continuous, secure and reliable connectivity. The Meru
WLAN System is optimized for pervasive wireless environments
with a high density of end users and a variety of devices and
converged applications, from voice to data to broadband
multimedia.
"We are committed to ensuring our customers have freedom of
choice to work with the vendors and solutions that best meet
their needs," said Eric Colard, vice president, Channel and
Business Development, Vernier Networks. "When deployed with the
Meru WLAN System, the Vernier EdgeWall NAC solution continuously
adapts security policies to respond to changing network
conditions and defend against evolving security threats."
"Most of our customers have already invested significantly in
network infrastructure and are not keen on the ‘one-size-fits
all' approach demanded by certain WLAN vendors," explained Jim
Ciociolo, Vice President Business Development, Meru Networks.
"Our program gives our customers assurance that their Meru
Wireless LAN System will operate flawlessly with all leading NAC
options on the market. Instead of locking our customers into
using a single vendor or approach, we offer them the opportunity
to work with their choice of leading security companies and
solutions."
This initiative is integral to Meru's commitment to open systems
and standards, and in providing its customers with the greatest
flexibility in deploying advanced WLAN solutions. Meru is a
member of The Trusted Computing Group (TCG), a not-for-profit
organization formed to develop, define, and promote open
standards for hardware-enabled trusted computing and security
technologies, including hardware building blocks and software
interfaces, across multiple platforms, peripherals, and devices.
TCG specifications will enable more secure computing
environments without compromising functional integrity, privacy
or individual rights.
About Meru Networks
Meru Networks is the global leader in wireless mobility
infrastructure solutions for Fortune 500 educational,
healthcare, enterprise, and government markets. Its
industry-leading innovations deliver pervasive, robust wireless
service for business-critical applications. Meru's award-winning
Air Traffic Control technology brings the benefits of the
cellular world to the WLAN environment, and it offers the only
solution on the market that delivers the reliability,
scalability, and security necessary for 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 +1-408-215-5300.