Press Release Detail 5.23

Indoor & Outdoor 802.11ac APs Address Rapid Adoption of Mobile Devices and Laptops Running Microsoft Lync and Office 365 at Price-Points Attractive for All Enterprises

Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARUN) today announced that its indoor and outdoor enterprise 802.11ac Wi-Fi access points (APs) are the first in the industry to be qualified under the Microsoft Lync Server Wi-Fi qualification program. The qualification program ensures that products conform to Microsoft’s stringent guidelines for end-user voice and video quality. With this qualification, enterprises of all sizes can now leverage the speed and reliability of Aruba gigabit Wi-Fi to ensure predictable unified communications experiences.

The significant growth of #GenMobile employees using Lync-enabled smartphones, laptops and tablets has placed increased strain on enterprise Wi-Fi infrastructures, boosting demand for a Lync-qualified 802.11ac solution. With its patented ClientMatch™ technology, which intelligently steers mobile devices to the ideal AP, and AppRF technology, which prioritizes and improves the reliability of Lync traffic, Aruba’s AP-200, AP-210, AP-220, and AP-275 Series of 802.11ac APs are ideal for enterprises seeking cost-effective, reliable and high-performance wireless solutions on which to run Lync unified communications.

“The mass adoption of Lync-enabled devices has dramatically raised the capacity and throughput demands on Wi-Fi networks,” said Zeus Kerravala, principal analyst for ZK Research. “The high performance of 802.11ac Wi-Fi is the ideal answer, and the accelerating unit shipments of 802.11ac devices and infrastructure highlights widespread market adoption. By Lync-qualifying all its indoor and outdoor 802.11ac products – from the entry level AP-200 series to the industrial-grade AP-270 series – Aruba is supporting Lync across the spectrum, from small branches running Office 365 to the largest host or on-premise Lync 2013 server based solutions. That’s a game changer for Microsoft and for enterprises that have wanted to roll out Lync enterprise-wide but were concerned about the cost of infrastructure upgrades.”

Aruba offers wireless solutions for Lync on-premises, hosted, and Office 365 applications. With technologies like AppRF, Aruba can automatically differentiate Lync voice, video, and desktop sharing from other application streams and prioritize Lync traffic to deliver a better overall user experience. The high performance of Lync over Aruba Wi-Fi – particularly with the added bandwidth of 802.11ac – is enabling enterprises worldwide to discard wired IP phones in favor of mobile Lync clients.

“With 802.11ac, we’re finding that enterprises are even more confident about ‘cutting the cord’ and using Lync for all their users’ unified communications needs – particularly for those making voice and video calls on their mobile devices,” said Eric King, Director of Lync Partner Management. “Aruba has always been committed to ensuring the best possible Lync over Wi-Fi experience and their 802.11ac APs are no exception. Marrying Aruba 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Lync gives enterprises a reliable, high-performing UC experience.”

“The all wireless workplace is fast becoming a reality,” said Michael R. Tennefoss, Vice President Strategic Partnerships for Aruba Networks. “Reliably delivering Lync services over Wi-Fi gives enterprises the option to cut the last cord and pocket the savings that come from eliminating wired desk phones. Using the Lync-qualified 802.11ac wireless solution in conjunction with tightly integrated Lync server SDN API gives enterprises a robust, cost-effective platform for extending unified communications to mobile users and devices throughout the enterprise.”

Additional Resources

• Blog - Why best of breed UCC infrastructure? http://arun.ly/Ay8NH
• Infrastructure Qualified for Microsoft Lync Page: http://technet.microsoft.com/UCOIP
• Microsoft Lync and Aruba Wi-Fi for the All-Wireless Workplace www.arubanetworks.com/solutions/lync
• Airheads Social: http://community.arubanetworks.com/
• Social Media Channels: http://www.arubanetworks.com/company/socialmedia/

About Aruba Networks, Inc.

Aruba Networks is a leading provider of next-generation network access solutions for the mobile enterprise. The company designs and delivers Mobility-Defined Networks that empower IT departments and #GenMobile, a new generation of tech-savvy users who rely on their mobile devices for every aspect of work and personal communication. To create a mobility experience that #GenMobile and IT can rely upon, Aruba Mobility-Defined Networks™ automate infrastructure-wide performance optimization and trigger security actions that used to require manual IT intervention. The results are dramatically improved productivity and lower operational costs.

Listed on the NASDAQ and Russell 2000® Index, Aruba is based in Sunnyvale, California, and has operations throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific regions. To learn more, visit Aruba at http://www.arubanetworks.com. For real-time news updates follow Aruba on Twitter and Facebook, and for the latest technical discussions on mobility and Aruba products visit Airheads Social at http://community.arubanetworks.com.

© 2014 Aruba Networks, Inc. Aruba Networks’ trademarks include Aruba Networks®, Aruba The Mobile Edge Company® (stylized), Aruba Mobility-Defined Networks™, Aruba Mobility Management System®, People Move Networks Must Follow®, Mobile Edge Architecture®, RFProtect®, Green Island®, ETips®, ClientMatch^TM, Virtual Intranet Access^TM, ClearPass Access Management Systems^TM, Aruba Instant^TM, ArubaOS^TM, xSec^TM, ServiceEdge^TM, Aruba ClearPass Access Management System^TM, Airmesh^TM, AirWave^TM, Aruba Central^TM, and “ARUBA@WORK^TM. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Aruba Networks, Inc.
Pavel Radda, +1-408-419-0294
Director of Corporate Communications
pradda@arubanetworks.com
OR
LSH Communications for Aruba Networks
Lori Hultin, +1-818-879-4651
Principal
lhultin@arubanetworks.com