Ruckus Wireless Unveils Industry's Simplest, Most Cost-Effective 802.11n SmartMesh(TM) Wireless LAN

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Ruckus Wireless today
 introduced the first Smart Wi-Fi meshing technology, called SmartMesh,
 which enables enterprises to deploy extensive wireless LANs (WLANs) in half
 the time at half the cost, and get three times the performance of typical
 WLANs.
 
     In addition the company said that Lodgian, Inc. (Amex:   LGN), one of the
 largest independent owners and operators of full-service hotels in the
 United States, is among the first companies to deploy the Ruckus SmartMesh
 and 802.11n solutions.
 
     SmartMesh extends patented Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi technology to enable a
 new class of simple yet robust WLANs that self-organize, self-optimize, and
 self- heal, eliminating costly, inconvenient cabling to every Wi-Fi access
 point (AP) and complex, labor-intensive RF planning. Combined with the
 award- winning Ruckus ZoneFlex 802.11n access point, a SmartMesh WLAN
 offers unprecedented performance, coverage and capacity scaling, paving the
 way to ubiquitous mobility for the enterprise.
 
 
    In addition to SmartMesh, Ruckus Wireless also introduced:
 
     -- ZoneDirector 3000, a line of scalable, easy-to-use enterprise WLAN
        controllers for Ruckus ZoneFlex APs
     -- Ruckus FlexMaster remote Wi-Fi management system for centralized
        management of ZoneFlex APs and/or WLANs over a wide area IP network.
 
     Ruckus will show the first public demonstration of its ground-breaking
 802.11n SmartMesh technology with the ZoneFlex Smart Wireless LAN system at
 INTEROP Las Vegas, April 28-May 1. To schedule a private demo go to
 http://www.ruckuswireless.com/interop2008/.
 
     "Ruckus SmartMesh and 802.11n change the game for enterprises deploying
 or extending wireless LANs," said Selina Lo, president and CEO of Ruckus
 Wireless. "With Ruckus SmartMesh, enterprises have a compelling new
 economic and deployment model for building enterprise-wide wireless LANs
 that are reliable enough to replace the wired LANs. This new model
 drastically reduces operating costs and eliminates the 'black magic'
 associated with planning, deploying and scaling extensive Wi-Fi networks."
 Lo identified three missing ingredients that have stymied the deployment of
 wireless meshing within the enterprise: 1) scalable capability, 2) easy
 deployment and 3) low maintenance.
 
     Similar to the introduction and evolution of Gigabit Ethernet, an
 802.11n SmartMesh lets enterprises realize immediate value for 802.11n
 within their network - even before 802.11n clients become pervasive.
 
     "802.11n is ready and perfect today as a high-speed wireless backbone
 to aggregate lower-speed Wi-Fi clients," Lo noted. "We've gone a step
 further to remove the complexity in deploying and operating wireless
 meshing. The same Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi technology in the Ruckus AP that
 selects best signal paths
 
     has now been extended to SmartMesh to provide automatic network-wide
 optimum path selection and interference mitigation," Lo concluded.
 
     Ruckus SmartMesh technology is ideal for enterprises, hotels, schools,
 hospitals, warehouses, multi-dwelling units, and other environments where
 Ethernet cabling may not be ubiquitous.
 
     Lodgian, Inc. is retrofitting its hotels with the Ruckus SmartMesh
 solution to provide ubiquitous Wi-Fi through its properties. Within the
 180- room Buckhead Courtyard Marriott hotel, Lodgian has deployed the
 Ruckus SmartMesh to provide high-performance Wi-Fi connectivity to every
 inch of the property.
 
     "Our hotels are very large properties where pulling cabling everywhere
 just isn't physically or economically feasible," said James MacLennan,
 Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Lodgian. "The Smart
 Wi-Fi system from Ruckus Wireless eliminates much of the labor and capital
 costs associated with deploying a conventional Wi-Fi network and service
 while delivering a much better user experience that exceeds their
 expectations."
 
     Fast Meshing That Minds Itself
 
     Ruckus SmartMesh is based on intelligent beam steering technology
 pioneered by Ruckus Wireless called Smart Wi-Fi.
 
     Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi controls the form and direction of Wi-Fi signals,
 adapting them in real-time to the changing RF environment due to
 interference, distance and physical obstructions. This enables a wireless
 LAN with unprecedented reliability, extended coverage and consistent
 performance.
 
     Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi technology is essential to creating and maintaining
 a high performance mesh. Extended signal range minimizes the number of mesh
 nodes needed for a given coverage area. This in turn reduces the associated
 "hop" delay that can reduce client throughput by 50 percent or more per
 hop. Additionally, automatic interference avoidance and optimum path
 selection enables the SmartMesh to deliver consistently high performance. A
 Ruckus 802.11n SmartMesh AP is capable of delivering higher throughput than
 a standard 802.11g wired AP even across two mesh hops.
 
     The use of Smart Wi-Fi antennas also minimizes neighbor node
 interference within the mesh -- unlike omni-directional antennas that
 radiate signals in all directions all the time, Smart Wi-Fi signals are
 directed specifically to the receiver only for the duration of a
 transmission.
 
     SmartMesh Transforms the Model for WLAN Deployment and Operation
 
     A software upgrade for the Ruckus ZoneDirector family of WLAN
 controllers, Ruckus SmartMesh simplifies the deployment of wireless LANs by
 eliminating the requirement to run Ethernet cables to every Wi-Fi access
 point.
 
     Unlike any other wireless meshing alternative, Ruckus SmartMesh was
 designed for simplicity and performance. In a matter of minutes
 administrators can easily enable SmartMesh through a point-and-click
 graphical user interface (GUI) on the Ruckus ZoneDirector. APs are
 automatically configured and managed by the ZoneDirector. Network
 provisioning, optimization and RF tuning are also automatic. Administrators
 can place SmartMesh access points where needed and walk away.
 
     Unlike other wireless mesh approaches, Ruckus SmartMesh creates the
 optimum network topology by continually determining the best path to
 clients as well as among mesh backhaul nodes. Self-healing around RF
 problems and auto-recovery in the event of an AP failure ensure high
 availability of the SmartMesh. A graphical map provides a complete view of
 the mesh topology at any given moment.
 
     Truth in Numbers
 
     Today, the cost of a typical 500-user WLAN using the industry's most
 popular enterprise 802.11g WLAN systems is approximately $35,000. This
 includes 25 access points each costing $700, a single WLAN controller
 priced at $15,000 and 25 Ethernet drops (labor included) costing $150 each.
 
     In contrast, an equivalent Ruckus SmartMesh solution with faster
 802.11n technology is under $15,000 and can be installed in half the time
 without the need for extensive wiring and site planning. Due to its
 extended range and performance, the Ruckus SmartMesh solution requires only
 15 access points,
 
     each costing $699, five Ethernet drops at $150/piece and a Smart WLAN
 controller for $3,500.
 
     Scalable WLANs Are Now Easy with the ZoneDirector 3000 and the
 FlexMaster
 
     Along with SmartMesh, Ruckus Wireless is introducing a new line of
 scalable enterprise-class Smart WLAN controllers, the ZoneDirector 3000.
 Supporting up to 250 ZoneFlex access points, the ZoneDirector 3000 is a
 robust Smart WLAN controller for large enterprise environments.
 
     In addition, all ZoneDirectors and/or ZoneFlex APs are now manageable
 through the Ruckus FlexMaster Wi-Fi management system. Now enterprises can
 securely manage remote smart WLANs and APs in regional or branch offices
 from a single point over the Internet or private IP networks.
 
     Pricing and Availability
 
     SmartMesh is available immediately as a free software upgrade
 (ZoneDirector 6.0 software) to premium support customers with Ruckus
 ZoneDirector Smart WLAN controllers. SmartMesh can be used with the entire
 family of Ruckus ZoneFlex 802.11g/n Smart Wi-Fi access points.
 
     Available in July, the ZoneDirector 3000 starts at US $6,000 for 25
 APs.
 
     The FlexMaster management system is available now for ZoneFlex APs
 starting at US$5,000 for 100 APs. FlexMaster managing ZoneDirectors will be
 available in July.
 
     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 industrial- strength Wi-Fi systems that provide reliable
 distribution of delay-sensitive multimedia content and services over
 standard 802.11 technology. Its flagship product, ZoneFlex, is the first
 wireless LAN system to combine the best in centralized wireless LAN
 principles with state-of-the-art Wi-Fi advances such as smart antenna
 arrays and wireless meshing. Its MediaFlex line of multimedia wireless
 routers is used by more than 125 broadband operators around the world to
 extend digital services such as IPTV throughout the home without wires. 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 such as Motorola, T-Ventures, Telus, Sutter Hill
 Ventures, Mitsui, Sequoia and others. Ruckus Wireless is led by President
 and CEO Selina Lo. For more information, visit the company's Web site at
 http://www.ruckuswireless.com.
 
 

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

SOURCE Ruckus Wireless, Inc.