Meru Networks and MobileAccess Partner To Certify Interoperability Of WLAN Over In-building Wireless Platform

Sparrow Health Deploys Combined Solution To Improve Accessibility, Reliability and Security

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 25, 2008 – Recently completed interoperability testing of Meru Networks wireless LANs and the MobileAccess Universal Wireless Network in-building platform has verified that together the combined solutions offer an in-building WLAN deployment alternative that enhances wireless security while simplifying WLAN maintenance for hospitals, enterprises and other large facilities.

Under the auspices of Meru's VoIP Unplugged Program and the MobileAccess Alliance Partner Program, the two companies certify the successful operation of Meru's Air Traffic Control™ wireless LAN technology over the MobileAccess Universal Wireless Network. When the technologies are combined in a customer site, Meru wireless access points (APs) can be clustered in telecommunications wiring closets, where they are more secure and easier to maintain than on ceilings where they are typically placed.

Sparrow Health System, a Michigan-based regional network of hospitals with more than 800 beds, uses an integrated Meru WLAN deployment over a MobileAccess wireless infrastructure. Robert Parsons, Sparrow Health's interim chief technology officer, said, "The combination of these two technologies is in my estimation one of the best wireless solutions on the market. With Meru's single-channel approach to WLANs, users get uninterrupted connectivity because they don't have to hop from channel to channel when they roam. Together with the MobileAccess Universal Wireless Network, this makes for a combined solution that addresses all three of our major requirements for wireless: accessibility, reliability and security."

The MobileAccess Universal Wireless Network uses a hybrid fiber/coax cabling infrastructure and discrete broadband antennas to deliver pervasive wireless coverage for multiple wireless services, including wireless LAN. The Meru APs in the wiring closet send 802.11 a/b/g signals to MobileAccess WLAN modules, which combine those signals with RF signals from other wireless services and distribute the combined services to antennas, mirroring the behaviors and coverage footprint of a conventional, AP-on-the-ceiling WLAN deployment.

"In sensitive environments like hospitals, it's important to prevent hospital disruption caused by routine maintenance of APs on ceilings and the increased infection risks caused by the removal of ceiling tiles," said Cathy Zatloukal, MobileAccess president and CEO. "With our combined solution, hospitals can provide reliable wireless coverage for WLAN and other wireless services without sacrificing operational efficiency and patient safety."

Kamal Anand, Meru's senior vice president of marketing and corporate strategy, said the integration of Meru and MobileAccess technologies "results in a cost-effective multi-service solution that spreads infrastructure costs across multiple wireless services without making the customer give up any of the features or versatility for which Meru WLANs are known. In particular, the integration maintains the integrity of Meru's unique 'virtual cell' wireless technology, which automatically selects a single channel for enterprise-wide use, eliminating co-channel interference and the costly channel planning that plague legacy networks."

About MobileAccess
MobileAccess is an enterprise wireless innovator that provides a universal platform for connecting the people and applications that drive business. The MobileAccess Universal Wireless Network is the key to widespread wireless connectivity in hospitals, office buildings, public venues and other large-scale facilities. The company’s intelligent, in-building infrastructure delivers business-quality performance, scalability, security and signal reliability to thousands of customers, including Fortune 1000 companies such as Lehman Brothers and Hearst Corporation, leading healthcare facilities such as Northwestern Memorial and Clarian Health, as well as many public sector customers such as Aladdin Resort and Casino, Arizona Cardinals Stadium, American University and the Oakland International Airport. For an online demo, visit www.mobileaccess.com.

About Meru Networks
Meru Networks is the global leader in wireless infrastructure solutions that enable the All-Wireless Enterprise. Its industry-leading innovations deliver pervasive, wireless service fidelity for business-critical applications to major Fortune 500 enterprises, universities, healthcare organizations and local, state and federal government agencies. Meru's award-winning Air Traffic Control technology brings the benefits of the cellular world to the wireless LAN environment, and its WLAN System is the only solution on the market that delivers predictable bandwidth and over-the-air Quality of Service with the reliability, scalability, and security necessary to deliver 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 (408) 215-5300.