Springfield School District Upgrades Wireless Network with Aruba Instant Controller-less Wi-Fi Solution

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01/15/2013

SUNNYVALE, Calif.

Reliable, Low Cost Wireless LAN Accommodates Increasing Use of Mobile Devices

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - January 15, 2013 - Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARUN), a leading provider of next-generation network access solutions for the mobile enterprise, today announced that Springfield School District 186, a K-12 district comprised of 39 locations in Springfield, Illinois, is in the process of deploying Aruba Instant, Aruba's controller-less Wi-Fi solution, to upgrade its wireless network. When complete, the deployment will utilize 1,200 Aruba Instant IAP-105 access points along with the Aruba AirWave Management System, to deliver a high-performing, 802.11n wireless LAN for the entire district.

Springfield School District is comprised of three high schools, seven middle schools, 24 elementary schools, a charter school, an adult education center, a technology center and business and administrative offices. Although Springfield had previously deployed a wireless network to serve the district, the pre-802.11n network was not reliable or high-performing enough to accommodate the influx of mobile devices and equipment being used in classrooms. Springfield evaluated a number of wireless vendors including Cisco, HP, Meru and Meraki, but ultimately chose Aruba Instant for its low cost, ease of management and reliability.

"Our teachers and students have become increasingly dependent upon the wireless network for teaching and learning, and with the 1:1 iPad initiative we plan to roll out in the high schools, having a reliable infrastructure is even more critical," said Brent Qualls, manager of data and information systems for Springfield School District. He added, "The wireless just has to work, because we don't have the resources to troubleshoot and fix network problems. With our old network, we were experiencing connection issues on a daily basis, but in the buildings where we've now deployed Aruba Instant, our wireless issues have disappeared."

To test Aruba Instant's reliability, Springfield began its deployment in the most challenging locations in its district: three high schools, one of which was built in the 1900s and contained thick, brick and mortar walls, and all of which had experienced problems. "We felt if Instant could work in these locations, it could work anywhere," Qualls explained. The Aruba Instant access points (IAPs) performed flawlessly, providing the coverage and performance Springfield was looking for.

With new devices including more iPads and Macs being added to the network every day, Springfield's requirement for a solid wireless infrastructure has moved to the top of the district's priority list. The new Springfield wireless network is currently supporting about 2,400 devices in four buildings, and Springfield will continue to roll out Aruba IAPs to the rest of the district locations during the coming months. The district is also using Aruba's AirWave Management System to monitor and manage the wireless network, allowing them to quickly identify and resolve network issues.

"Aruba Instant has become a popular choice for K-12 school districts like Springfield that must support an increasing number of mobile devices in their schools without the resources and funding to tackle those challenges," said Gerry Festa, director of industry solutions marketing for Aruba Networks. "Instant gives distributed environments like these school districts enterprise-class capabilities with simplified management and configuration, at a greatly reduced cost."

About Aruba Networks, Inc.

Aruba Networks is a leading provider of next-generation network access solutions for the mobile enterprise. The company's Mobile Virtual Enterprise (MOVE) architecture unifies wired and wireless network infrastructures into one seamless access solution for corporate headquarters, mobile business professionals, remote workers and guests. This unified approach to access networks enables IT organizations and users to securely address the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) phenomenon, dramatically improving productivity and lowering capital and 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.

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News Source : Springfield School District Upgrades Wireless Network with Aruba Instant Controller-less Wi-Fi Solution