MERU (MM)

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Meru Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: MERU), the leader in virtualized 802.11n enterprise wireless networking, today announced that it has been awarded a patent for its groundbreaking virtualized wireless LAN (WLAN) architecture.  Patent no. 7,826,426 covers Meru's Virtual Port™ technology, designed to address the problem of a Microcell Wi-Fi Meltdown™ and wireless network congestion.  Meru's newly patented unique technology provides wired switch-like bandwidth optimization and security for enterprises that increasingly need to manage environments with growing density of iPads, iPhones and similar next-generation smartphone mobile devices, such as Android-based wireless devices.

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"Increasing client demands will drive infrastructure density in essentially all venues over the next few years, a consequence of Wi-Fi's technological sophistication, its elevation to primary or default access in many venues, the rapidly-growing deployment of handsets, tablets, and related devices featuring integrated Wi-Fi capability, and, of course, user expectations regarding the availability of Wi-Fi service essentially everywhere," said Craig Mathias, principal, Farpoint Group.  "It is therefore clear that client density and overall demand for WLAN capacity will absolutely continue to increase no matter what.  Meru's virtualization technology is a proven strategy for addressing these density issues and avoiding the bottlenecks and meltdowns that are otherwise difficult to avoid."

Over 80 percent of the Fortune 100 companies are introducing iPads and other smart mobile devices into their networks, leading to a potential tripling of the number of Wi-Fi enabled devices each person carries.  To manage this rapid increase in density and wireless network congestion, Meru's Virtual Port uniquely provides switch-like port isolation to devices over the air. Network managers gain fine-grain access control and improved security, while the infrastructure optimizes the allocation of the wireless bandwidth to address the problems of Microcell Wi-Fi Meltdowns caused by Wi-Fi spectrum congestion.

Meru's Virtual Port architecture is designed to provide a dedicated virtual network connection for each mobile device, giving users the performance, reliability and security expected from wired networks.  The network architecture also delivers the mobility benefits of wireless and the flexibility of virtualization for mobile applications, all while delivering quality-of-service (QoS) and predictable service levels.  Meru's virtualized WLAN solutions are purpose-built to scale and easily handle the highest user density environments created by the use of Wi-Fi enabled devices such as iPads, iPhones, smartphones and laptops accessing voice, video and data content and applications.

Key Facts

• Optimization and management of the Wi-Fi network is crucial to successfully managing spectrum congestion.  Unlike legacy microcell WLAN designs, Meru's Virtual Port technology can operate on a single channel for use enterprise-wide, and is designed to maximize network performance while accelerating and simplifying deployments.  With its zero-handoff technology, mobile devices need not switch channels when roaming, so users and applications can experience uninterrupted connections.  Meru's single channel set-up is designed to mitigate interference so users can cover larger areas with fewer access points and support much higher density of mobile devices.  
• With Meru's architecture, enterprises can layer additional channels simultaneously, allowing them to harness the spectrum wasted by multiple-channel microcell networks to support even greater density, reliability and continuity of their applications.
• Microcell Wi-Fi Meltdowns are a growing occurrence everyday across enterprises.  Meru's core technology is designed to support the proliferation of wireless devices and applications and more critically, avoid such Wi-Fi Meltdowns.  Meru's ability help enterprises avoid a Wi-Fi Meltdown has been demonstrated with its WLAN 500™ demo, with over 500 wireless devices in a 500 square foot area – streaming voice, video and data concurrently and deliver full quality of service whether stationary or mobile.

"As it is becoming apparent that a Microcell Wi-Fi Meltdown is not an isolated incident, people are looking to understand how they can avoid it.  Meru's virtualized WLAN architecture was designed from the beginning to not suffer from those problems, and this patent underlies the core technology responsible," said Joe Epstein, senior director, technology, Meru Networks.  "Users of Meru's Virtual Port are able to avoid wireless failures in high-density environments, because client devices are provided a unique virtual wireless network with dedicated bandwidth and network control.  On the other hand, legacy microcell users may continue to experience increasing incidents of Wi-Fi Meltdowns, because every device must share bandwidth, and as more and more devices are introduced, the more unstable and unreliable the network becomes.  This patent is a marker of the uniqueness and value of our innovations, letting us put a high quality, innovative and industry recognized solution in the hands of customers."

About Meru Networks

Founded in 2002, Meru Networks provides 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 Fortune 500 enterprises, healthcare, education, retail, manufacturing, hospitality and government. 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 avoid Wi-Fi meltdown, the rise in client density, increased demand for WLAN capacity and the inability for microcell users to avoid Wi-Fi meltdowns. 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.