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Aerohive Networks Introduces Next-Generation Enterprise Wireless LAN Equipment and Architecture

Aerohive Networks Introduces Next-Generation Enterprise Wireless LAN Equipment and Architecture

"Cooperative Control" Products Eliminate Wireless LAN Controllers; First Products Available Immediately; First Customer Announced

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 8, 2007 — Aerohive Networks, creators of the "cooperative control" wireless LAN access point (CC-AP), today announced the company's public launch and the immediate availability of their first products, the HiveAP 20 ag CC-AP and the companion HiveManager Network Management System Appliance. Aerohive's new class of wireless LAN (WLAN) equipment eliminates the need for centralized wireless LAN controllers, enabling a next-generation "cooperative control" wireless LAN architecture ideal for whole-enterprise deployment. The cooperative control architecture provides the reliability necessary for mission-critical networks, is optimized for voice over wireless LAN (VoWLAN) applications, and scales easily to support 802.11n. Aerohive also announced today its first customer, First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc.

Management, Mobility, and Security Without Controllers
In Aerohive cooperative control wireless LAN networks, multiple HiveAPs self-organize into groups called "hives", sharing control information. The result is enterprise-class management, mobility, and security without the cost, capacity, performance, and availability issues associated with controller deployments.

Substantially Reduced Cost for Distributed Enterprises and Mission-Critical Deployments Because expensive controller hardware is eliminated, cooperative control wireless LAN deployments are significantly less expensive than controller-based wireless LAN deployments. The cost savings are especially large in branch-office and retail deployments, where controller costs are generally spread over only a small number of access points, and in mission-critical applications, where redundant controllers are often deployed to ensure network resiliency. A whitepaper comparing the cost of cooperative control wireless LAN deployments to the cost of controller-based wireless LAN deployments is available for download at http://www.aerohive.com/resources/resources.html.

HiveAP 20 ag: Enterprise-Class Functionality The cooperative control software in each HiveAP 20 ag provides an array of powerful, enterprise-class features, including:

• Fast, stateful layer 2 and layer 3 roaming
• Cooperative RF management
• Mesh networking
• Best-path data forwarding
• Sub-second resiliency without loss of session state, even in the case of multiple inline failures
• Identity-based security and quality of service (QoS) at the network's edge

First Industrial Realty Trust Selects Aerohive
"Our challenge was to deploy a cost-effective, secure wireless convenience network that has the performance, reliability, and scalability to support our current demanding, mission-critical applications, as well as future needs, such as voice over wireless LAN," said Nick Colakovic, director of IT, First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc., the nation's largest provider of diversified industrial real estate. "We chose the Aerohive cooperative control solution over controller-based wireless LAN solutions because it easily met our requirements today and gave us the confidence that it could economically scale in the future."

Flexibility and Economical Scalability from a Unique Wireless Architecture
"Aerohive has included all of the functionality required to build scalable and reliable enterprise-class wireless LAN networks," said Craig Mathias, principal, Farpoint Group, a wireless and mobile advisory firm. "I'm particularly impressed with the ability of HiveAPs to function as mesh nodes, which dramatically improves installation flexibility and fault-tolerance."

"The inevitable migration to 802.11n, demanding applications such as voice over wireless LAN, and, over time, the evolution of the entire access layer from today's wired network to an all-wireless network will require a network architecture unencumbered by costly centralized network controllers," said David Flynn, chief executive officer, Aerohive Networks. "Less in-network hardware, not more, will be the best solution for the enterprise wireless LAN."

Products, Pricing, and Availability
The HiveAP 20 ag, a dual-radio, a/b/g, enterprise-class CC-AP, is priced at $995 and is available immediately.

The HiveManager Network Management System Appliance, a 1U rack-mount network management appliance, is priced starting at $4995 and is also available immediately. While a hive of CC-APs can operate without a HiveManager, the HiveManager simplifies provisioning for global policy management and centralized configuration and monitoring. The HiveManager lowers operating costs by speeding deployment, configuration, and monitoring of the wireless network.

Best of Interop Finalist
Yesterday, the HiveAP 20 ag was named a finalist for the "Best of Interop Las Vegas 2007" award. Winners will be announced May 22nd at the show. Aerohive will be exhibiting at Interop Las Vegas in booth #1775.

About Aerohive
Aerohive Networks' cooperative control enterprise wireless LAN architecture provides all the management, mobility, and security of controller-based architectures without the cost, capacity, performance, and availability issues associated with controller deployments. In addition, Aerohive solutions provide the reliability and scalability necessary for mission-critical networks and are optimized for voice over wireless LAN (VoWLAN) applications. Aerohive was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. The company's investors include Lightspeed Venture Partners and Northern Light Venture Capital.

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