New Farpoint Group White Paper Details Performance Benefits of Aruba's New ARM 2.0 Software in Real-World Tests

Market Wire, September, 2008

Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN), a global leader in wireless LANs and secure mobility solutions, today announced the availability of a new Farpoint Group white paper, "Advances in Wireless Infrastructure Control: Optimizing Client Behavior for Improved Network Performance," outlining the performance benefits of Aruba's new Adaptive Radio Management (ARM) 2.0 software. In a battery of tests conducted at the University of Washington, in conjunction with software providers DyKnow, ExamSoft Worldwide, and Video Furnace, ARM 2.0 increased 802.11n throughput by more than 200% in a mixed-client network. ARM 2.0 also enabled more than 100 concurrently running 802.11n and legacy 802.11a/b/g laptops to reliably display multi-media lectures delivered via a single access point.

ARM 2.0 makes 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi networks run faster, more reliably, and with greater resiliency. The new, patent-pending ARM 2.0 software uses infrastructure-based controls that direct the behavior of Wi-Fi clients so they operate to their fullest potential. Compatible with 802.11 standards and clients, ARM 2.0 can be used in all new and existing Aruba deployments.

"We were pleased to have the opportunity to examine Aruba's next-generation radio optimization technology in a typical production environment," said Craig Mathias, a Principal with Farpoint Group. "We were able to run a number of tests, both quantitative and qualitative, and the results were indeed impressive. We saw significant improvements in throughput as well as large-scale application behavior that would please the most demanding user base. Aruba has introduced technology that brings wireless ever closer to the performance of wire."

The Computer Science & Engineering Department at the University of Washington has developed a Tablet PC-based interaction system called Classroom Presenter, which integrates digital ink and electronic slides for easy sharing between instructors and students. The tool combines the advantages of a whiteboard and a slide-based presentation, providing a means with which to dynamically collaborate and share thoughts and ideas.

"The Classroom Presenter 3 application offers real time inking for a smooth rendition of digital ink, with very little delay between the instructor and the public display and the students' devices -- provided the network is fast enough to carry the signals in real-time," said Professor Richard Anderson, Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, and creator of Classroom Presenter. "As an existing Aruba customer we were aware of the many features of the wireless LAN on campus, but ARM 2.0 added a new dimension to network performance. Using a local server deployed in the data center, the tests demonstrated that slides changed on 95 clients in less than 2 seconds. That is more than sufficient for interactive classroom applications and demonstrates how ARM 2.0 can allow a large number of student devices to be integrated into an electronic classroom."

DyKnow Vision software is an interactive teaching tool used to maximize class time, foster collaborative learning and promote effective studying. Using DyKnow Vision, educators can instantly transmit prepared or extemporaneous content to student computers for annotation, poll students and receive immediate feedback, as well as empower students to lead class or work in groups from their seats. Students and educators can access their notes and class audio recordings anytime, anywhere. The product utilizes a client-server design to transmit information, enabling two-way interaction between hundreds of students and educators without decreasing performance.

"The effectiveness of any web-based software is dependent, in part, on the reliability and performance of the underlying network over which it's running," said Laura Small, DyKnow President. "These scalability tests demonstrated DyKnow Vision running with low latency over a single Aruba 802.11n access point and 95 laptop computers. This study validates that DyKnow can easily turn large classrooms with hundreds of computers into interactive learning environments over a wireless network."

ExamSoft Worldwide's SofTest exam administration software manages the secure distribution, completion, and auto-return of electronic exams. The software secures the student-owned or computer lab testing computer by preventing access to all other locally stored or Internet-accessible programs and files. SofTest will download exam files, auto-save and back up exam taker responses while blocking unauthorized use of other software on the student's computer or the Internet, and auto-upload finished exams. SofTest does not require Internet connectivity during exams.

"Network speed, reliability, and security are of paramount importance in electronic test programs, the former two because they affect the user experience, the latter because the integrity of the process is of paramount importance to educational institutions," said Jason Gad, Vice President of Marketing of ExamSoft Worldwide. "Farpoint's recent ARM 2.0 tests demonstrated that SofTest users could submit 95 separate exams in less than one minute with no failed attempts or observed delays. That is exemplary performance and more than sufficient for use in large lecture halls."