Thumbnail: 

Aruba Networks, Inc. has announced a new wireless LAN platform that addresses the explosion of mobile applications and devices challenging enterprise networks, while dramatically reducing enterprise IT costs.

According to ABI Research, over 9 billion Wi-Fi enabled devices have been shipped since 2009, and Gartner predicts mobile application downloads will hit 310 billion by 2016. Faced with this massive increase in devices and applications, including the demand from users to connect their own personal devices, IT managers must ensure that their network infrastructure delivers top-notch performance and quality for business applications.

The Aruba 7200 Series with new Aruba AppRF technology is a wireless LAN platform with the integrated application intelligence and controls to optimize application delivery. This insight, and the ability to take real-time action, results in 11x better performance compared to existing solutions. To accomplish this, Aruba AppRF software, which runs on the 7200 mobility controller, uses Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) for Layer 7 insight to identify application traffic. Then, using Airtime Fairness, QoS and integrated control of RF characteristics on the access points, the controller optimizes over-the-air performance for each application type and user profile.

Aruba AppRF technology gives enterprises integrated visibility into and control over both traditional server-based applications as well as cloud-based and web-based mobile applications such as supply chain management, Box, GoToMeeting, Salesforce.com and more. Using a simple dashboard in the controller interface and in Aruba Airwave management software, Aruba AppRF gives IT insight into individual user traffic streams for troubleshooting, long term planning and real time prioritization.

In competitive testing, the Aruba 7200 Series powered by AppRF completed a download from the cloud-based storage service, Box.com, in 12 seconds; this was 11x faster than the 129 seconds required to complete the download using a comparable Cisco Wi-Fi solution.  Furthermore, when compared to a similar Cisco wireless LAN deployment, the Aruba 7200 Series delivers up to 50% cost savings in total hardware and support costs for WLAN controllers.

The Aruba 7200 Series helps enterprises drive down the costs of their networking infrastructure, “rightsizing” their networks and migrating to an all-wireless environment.

With the 7200 Series’ improved scalability and high availability, enterprises can reduce the number of wired ports and their associated maintenance costs, resulting in a network that is less expensive to manage and maintain and saves on energy costs.

In addition, the 7200 Series’ ability to assure high quality and performance for voice, video and Unified Communications (UC) applications like Microsoft Lync means that enterprises can eliminate desktop phones, IP PBX support, expensive video and audio equipment, dedicated videoconferencing systems and all of the support contracts that come with this equipment. With 75% better quality for Microsoft Lync as compared to an equivalent Cisco Wi-Fi network, Aruba controllers offer the highest performing, most reliable solution in the industry to support always-on communications.

The Aruba 7200 Series Mobility Controllers, which include three models – the 7210, 7220 and 7240 – are available now, with prices starting at $16,995 U.S. list (around HK$132,561).