Ruckus Wireless Delivers New Smart Wi-Fi Products for Large Enterprise and Branch Office Applications

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Ruckus Wireless(TM) today
 delivered a collection of new Smart Wireless LAN (WLAN) products and
 capabilities targeted at large-scale enterprise and branch offices to
 enable easier and more cost-effective deployment of next generation Smart
 WLANs.
 
     Smart WLANs are the next step in corporate Wi-Fi technology that extend
 signal range, actively reject interference, and constantly adapt to
 changing environmental conditions without human intervention. The new
 Ruckus Wireless Smart Wi-Fi products and capabilities include:
 
     -- The ZoneDirector 3000, a new line of scalable, easy-to-use Smart
 WLAN controllers to manage Ruckus ZoneFlex Smart Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n access
 points (APs),
 
     -- The FlexMaster remote Wi-Fi management system for centralized
 management of ZoneFlex APs and/or ZoneDirectors over a wide area IP
 network,
 
     -- SpeedFlex(TM), a unique Wi-Fi performance utility that measures
 client wireless throughput, and
 
     -- A range of new ZoneDirector Smart WLAN capabilities such as
 integrated DHCP support, 802.1x roaming, Dynamic Pre-Shared Key(TM) (PSK)
 for Windows Mobile and CE devices and Layer 3 support.
 
     "Larger companies have begun demanding simpler wireless LAN solutions
 that still provide high-end capabilities but at a much lower overall cost
 of ownership," said Bart Burstein, VP of product management for Ruckus
 Wireless. "Our ZoneFlex Smart Wireless LAN systems are the only such
 products to combine the best of classic centralized wireless management
 with state-of-the-art RF signal routing to give enterprises more consistent
 Wi-Fi performance, extended range and streamlined deployment without the
 traditional hassle and high costs associated with conventional wireless
 LANs."
 
     Scaling the Enterprise with Smarter Wi-Fi
 
     The ZoneDirector 3000 is the first line of enterprise-class Smart WLAN
 controllers to deliver a secure, robust and easily expandable Wi-Fi
 solution at an unmatched price. Capable of managing up to 250 ZoneFlex
 802.11g and 802.11n Smart Wi-Fi access points from a central point, the
 ZoneDirector 3000 system is designed for simplicity and ease-of-use.
 
     The ZoneDirector 3000 line, a single hardware platform offering
 pay-as-you-go support for 25, 50, 100 and 250 ZoneFlex access points
 (software upgradable), offers unique capabilities not found in other
 controller-based systems, such as Smart Wi-Fi meshing, the ability to
 generate dynamic pre-shared keys and sophisticated performance and
 monitoring tools.
 
     Unlike other centralized WLAN systems, the ZoneDirector 3000 employs a
 flexible distributed forwarding architecture. This eliminates potential
 performance bottlenecks by not requiring all traffic to flow directly
 through it thereby providing more flexible deployment options and better
 overall system-wide performance.
 
     The ZoneDirector 3000 also offers unprecedented price and coverage.
 Today the cost of deploying a wireless 802.11n infrastructure for 1000
 users (100 APs) with the leading wireless LAN supplier exceeds $175,000.
 With the ZoneDirector 3000 and ZoneFlex 7942 802.11n access points (though
 typically fewer Ruckus ZoneFlex APs are required) this same WLAN
 infrastructure costs only $94,000 while providing more than three times the
 Wi-Fi signal coverage, higher speeds, and streamlining operational costs by
 eliminating the need to run Ethernet cables to every access point.
 
     Smart Wi-Fi for the Distributed Enterprise with FlexMaster
 
     The Ruckus FlexMaster system, the first-of-its-kind remote wireless LAN
 and service management platform, now supports the ability to remotely
 manage and administer Ruckus ZoneDirector Smart WLAN controllers located in
 remote offices.
 
     From a central location, administrators can log into any ZoneFlex WLAN
 controller through the FlexMaster system and perform all ZoneDirector
 management and configuration tasks. This is ideal for solution providers,
 hotel chains, school districts, retail chains, distributed enterprises and
 other environments where discrete WLANs are deployed but must be controlled
 and monitored from a single point without dispatching IT staff.
 
     FlexMaster allows the grouping of multiple ZoneDirectors based on any
 of a number of attributes (e.g. geography) and consolidates system-wide
 views on a single dashboard. FlexMaster also replicates the configuration
 from one ZoneDirector controller to others through simple configuration
 templates and task scheduling.
 
     Unlike other management platforms, the Ruckus FlexMaster system easily
 integrates with existing OSSs. It uses industry standard protocols to
 access devices on networks that otherwise might be blocked by local
 firewalls or network address translation (NAT) devices. ZoneFlex WLANs or
 discrete ZoneFlex APs can be managed across a private, public or hybrid IP
 network, providing total flexibility where help desk personnel are located.
 
     Remotely Measuring Client Performance with SpeedFlex
 
     Integrated within each ZoneDirector, SpeedFlex is a new Wi-Fi
 performance utility that allows administrators to quickly and easily
 measure the Wi-Fi throughput of associated WLAN clients. With SpeedFlex,
 administrators can better plan, troubleshoot, monitor and measure WLAN
 performance, eliminating the need to use Internet-based measurement tools
 or costly performance tools that often provide inaccurate results of the
 local Wi-Fi environment.
 
     From any centralized ZoneDirector WLAN system, administrators can
 remotely invoke a speed test for a specific user thereby isolating client
 issues. SpeedFlex differs from existing test tools because it was developed
 specifically for Wi-Fi and focuses on characterizing performance at the
 wireless Link Layer.
 
     Flexible Deployment Options and Capabilities Make Robust WLAN Simpler
 
     ZoneFlex software release (7.0) adds a number of enhancements that
 enable more flexible and scalable deployments for large enterprises. Layer
 3 support for ZoneDirectors allows ZoneFlex APs to be automatically
 discovered and managed across different subnets. Additionally, ZoneFlex
 WLANs now support the seamless roaming for VoIP clients within a Layer 3
 environment.
 
     Finally, the Ruckus ZoneDirector system now provides caching of
 pairwise master keys (PMK) and opportunistic PMK caching. This eliminates
 the requirement for traffic to be sent back to a remote RADIUS server when
 roaming across managed APs. Ruckus Wireless has also extended support of
 its popular Dynamic PSK technology to now include Windows Mobile and CE
 devices.
 
     Pricing and Availability
 
     Available immediately, the U.S. list price of the Ruckus ZoneDirector
 3000 starts at $6,000. Software license upgrades allow customers to quickly
 and easily upgrade the number of APs supported on ZoneDirector as their
 environments grow. ZoneFlex 7.0 software support for the ZoneDirector
 platform is a free upgrade to customers with Premium Support contracts. A
 ZoneFlex Mobility license that adds 802.1x roaming and WLAN tunneling for
 VoIP layer 3 roaming support on a per controller basis is priced at US
 $3,000 for the ZoneDirector 1000 and US $8,000 for the ZoneDirector 3000.
 Also available immediately, the Ruckus FlexMaster system starts at US
 $5,000.
 
     About Ruckus Wireless, Inc.
 
     Based in Sunnyvale, California, Ruckus Wireless is a next-generation
 Wi-Fi company credited with pioneering "Smart Wi-Fi" technology. Named a
 2007 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, Ruckus Wireless was
 formed in 2004 at Sequoia Capital. The company designs, develops and
 markets Smart Wireless LAN systems that provide reliable and adaptive
 distribution of delay-sensitive multimedia content and services over
 standard 802.11a/b/g/n technology. The company's patented hardware and
 software technologies deliver predictable performance, extended range and
 real-time adaptability to changing Wi-Fi environments. The company has
 raised approximately $42 million in financing from premier venture capital
 investors, consumer electronics companies and broadband operators. Visit
 http://www.ruckuswireless.com, and see the company's blog at
 http://www.theruckusroom.net.
 
 

     Media Contacts
     David Callisch
     Ruckus Wireless
     david@ruckuswireless.com
     +1-408-504-5487 mobile
 
 

SOURCE Ruckus Wireless, Inc.