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Branch-in-a-Box Solution Simplifies and Lowers the Cost of Networking Branch Offices

Sunnyvale, CA, May 22, 2009 - Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN), a global leader in wireless LANs and secure mobility solutions, today announced that its new 600 Series Branch Office Controllers (BOCs) have been recognized by InformationWeek Analytics, the premium content service for business technology leaders, and Interop, the leading global business technology event series, as winner of the 2009 Best of Interop Awards in the Wireless and Mobility category.

Designed to be a “branch-in-a-box” solution for offices with up to 256 users, the BOCs offer a broad range of WAN connectivity, network-attached storage, gigabit Ethernet, power-over-Ethernet (PoE), Express Card, and USB options. An integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi radio option rounds out the package.

The BOCs are a component of Aruba’s new Virtual Branch Network (VBN) solution. VBN transparently and securely connects remote users with enterprise applications and resources, greatly simplifying the management of branch offices, clinics, home offices, and teleworkers while significantly lowering costs. The solution virtualizes complex tasks at data center controllers and pushes them to inexpensive Remote Access Points (RAPs) and BOCs for execution. A centrally controlled, policy enforcement firewall in the data center controller governs user access to the remote network and its resources. Dissolvable firewall agents in every RAP and BOC automatically enforce the policies for every user and service. Set-up is quick and easy, minimizing IT overhead compared with traditional remote networking solutions.

More than 160 products vied for recognition as Best of Interop award winners. The Wireless and Mobility category was judged by Michael Brandenburg of InformationWeek and David Molta of Syracuse University. “As many enterprises transition from traditional offices and cube farms to remote sites, virtual offices, and telecommuting, the benefits of Aruba’s zero-touch remote management are clear: simplified configuration and management, reduced deployment costs, and smaller hardware footprint at remote locations,” said Brandenburg. “Combined with options for network attached storage, 3G cellular connectivity, and wireless mesh services, the Aruba 600 Branch Office Controller covers all the bases for a branch office in a box solution, no matter where the branch office may be.”

In addition to the 600 Series Branch Office Controllers, the VBN solution includes new software for data center-based Aruba Controllers, and two new families of wired and wireless RAPs. One of the new RAPs, the RAP-2, has a U.S. list price of just $99, making it the least expensive, centrally managed enterprise branch networking solution on the market.

“The 600 Series Branch Office Controllers represent a major advancement in remote networking, offering a feature-rich branch office solution that works independently or can be centrally managed,” said Keerti Melkote, Aruba’s co-founder and chief technology officer. “By minimizing the complexity, expense, and IT overhead associated with traditional branch office solutions, the 600 series helps contain capital and operation expenses—a welcome relief in today’s economic environment. We’re gratified that these benefits have been recognized by InformationWeek Analytics and Interop.”