Meru Networks Introduces Low-Cost Business Critical 802.11n Access Point for Retail and Manufacturing Markets

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Meru Networks, Inc., (Nasdaq: MERU), the leader in virtualized and optimized 802.11n enterprise wireless networking, announced today a new 802.11n access point product line for the extended enterprise, the AP1000i.  The AP1000i leverages the power of Meru's Single-Channel, Virtual Port™ and Virtual Cell™ technology, delivering retail and manufacturing leaders simple deployment, ease of management, exceptional reliability and cost savings for the retail IT marketplace.  The new access point is optimized for the demanding business-critical needs of retail, manufacturing and warehouse businesses which demand superior connectivity and mobility even under unpredictable environments – all at a low CapEx and OpEx.  The AP1000i establishes a new standard in wireless networking for retail stores, manufacturing sites and warehouse users, delivering a Wireless-Like-Wire™ experience and enabling businesses to elevate the customer experience and boost employee productivity.

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Key Facts

• The AP1000i is the newest entry-level, low cost enterprise access point solution in Meru's product family with breakthrough connectivity, mobility, security, simplicity of deployment and ease of management.  The AP1000i is a unique and impactful solution for stores and warehouses experiencing connectivity, deployment and management pains from microcell products.
• Based on Meru's proven innovative Single-Channel, Virtual Cell, Virtual Port and Service Assurance Manager™, the AP1000i is a low-cost solution that enables retail and manufacturing enterprises to have predictive WLAN availability and complete visibility to retail stores, remote offices and distributed locations.
• Designed for retail, manufacturing and warehouse customers demanding mission-critical connectivity and mobility without high cost and complexity of legacy microcell offerings.
• Out-of-the-box support for thousands of 802.11 a/b/g/n devices.
• Simple and easy to deploy, the AP1000i is administered and managed by centralized IT departments and service providers.
• With an entry-level price of $395, the AP1000i offers exceptional performance at this price point. The AP1000i is designed to significantly lower CapEx by up to 30 percent and reduce OpEx up to 50 percent – making the AP1000i an attractive solution for mass adoption.  
• Offered separately, new Security/PCI Compliance and Predictive Management Solution secure all transactions while simplifying the setup and management of retail networks.  
• Meru's security solutions combines the proactive protection of a wireless intrusion prevention system (WIPS) with comprehensive monitoring and verification, offering retail customers peace of mind when it comes to Point-of-Sale (POS) transactions. Through WIPS, Meru is able to monitor the radio spectrum for the presence of unauthorized access points.

Supporting Quotes

A Major U.S. General Merchandise Retailer

"We specialize in serving our local communities by offering customers the products they need with a level of personal service that is well known throughout our industry.  We used to perform a lot of manual network management store-by-store, removing false rogues, looking for assets, and checking network performance.  It was a lot of pop-up windows and clicking from one thing to another. With Meru's AP1000i, centralized network management is much easier, intuitive and powerful.  Our sales personnel can service customer requests wirelessly on the spot - without having to worry about dropped connections or poor performance.  Because Meru's solution is so easy to setup and can be centrally managed from our corporate office, we are able to quickly and cost-effectively turn up service throughout all of our stores."

Bob Parker, group vice president of research, IDC Retail Insights

"The amount of wireless traffic in the typical retail store will increase by an order of magnitude over the next five years as store operations, security, and consumer interaction all takes advantage of being un-tethered.  Re-purposing consumer grade devices based on microcell technology will run into serious performance issues in the crowded store airwaves.  Meru has a unique architecture that creates a switched rather than shared wireless mesh, enabling the retailer to provision bandwidth to applications in an optimal way."

Ram Appalaraju, senior vice president, marketing, Meru Networks

"Retail and Manufacturing businesses rely on a broad range of devices to enhance supply chain productivity and deliver outstanding customer experience.  With the introduction of the AP1000i, mission critical workflows that depend on such devices can now consistently deliver on business needs even in unpredictable RF environments. The AP1000i leverages proven innovative technology that over 4,000 Meru customers have come to depend on.  With enhanced levels of simplicity and affordability, the AP1000i enables retail businesses to increasingly deploy wireless solutions to achieve higher efficiencies and market success."

Pricing and Availability

Pricing begins at $395 for a single-radio access point.  The AP1000i will be available to customers in December 2010.

About Meru Networks

Founded in 2002, Meru Networks develops and markets a virtualized wireless LAN solution that cost-effectively optimizes the enterprise network to deliver the performance, reliability, predictability and operational simplicity of a wired network, with the advantages of mobility.   Meru's solution represents an innovative approach to wireless networking that utilizes virtualization technology to create an intelligent and self-monitoring wireless network, and enables enterprises to migrate their business-critical applications from wired networks to wireless networks, and become all-wireless enterprises.  Meru's solutions have been adopted in major industry vertical markets, including education, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing and retail.  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 establish a new standard in wireless networking, the ability to elevate the customer experience and boost employee productivity, the ability to deploy wireless solutions that achieve higher efficiencies and market success,  and the ability to deliver up to 30 percent lower CapEx and up to 50 percent OpEx savings. 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.

Meru Networks is a registered trademark of Meru Networks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Meru Networks, Inc.