Prior to selecting a new wireless vendor the university staged a competitive evaluation between Aruba and two other vendors. Aruba's solution was determined to be both more economical and technically superior, and the university subsequently purchased an Aruba 802.11n Wi-Fi network and AirWave Wireless Management Suite.

"We selected Aruba for our wireless upgrade because its AP-125 802.11n Access Point had demonstrably better coverage and range than comparable alternatives," said Robert Gray, Virginia Union University's Director of Information Technology. "Aruba also delivered exceptional pre-sales support, its solution was less expensive, and its network was easier to deploy and manage. One feature we were sorely lacking before was a secure, easy-to-use guest access system. Aruba's captive portal includes a rich suite of guest access features, and can be operated by non-technical personnel."

Adaptive Radio Management (ARM) technology simplifies wireless LAN deployment by eliminating the need for site surveys. To deliver long-term reliable network operation, ARM continuously optimizes Wi-Fi performance. By automatically compensating for interference, network traffic, and even the types of applications run on the network, ARM ensures that data, voice, and video applications have sufficient network resources, including airtime, to operate properly.

Aruba's policy-enforcement firewall (PEF) provides identity-based security, Quality of Service (QoS) control, and traffic management capabilities. The firewall classifies traffic on the basis of user identity, device type, location, and time of day, and provides differentiated access for different classes of users. Guest access can be tightly controlled with respect to bandwidth consumed and the applications and resources that can be accessed.

"The AirWave suite stands head and shoulders above the other wireless management systems that we evaluated," continued Mr. Gray. "It's easy to set-up, easy to use, and includes a powerful set of reporting capabilities that keep us abreast of user activity, network utilization, and system performance."

The latest AirWave Wireless Management Suite offers many key features that are typically missing from proprietary management solutions:

• Management efficiency through improved diagnostics, advanced troubleshooting, and reporting;
• Visibility into the wireless network that enables the Help Desk to resolve problems remotely and efficiently;
• Streamlined performance of routine management tasks such as updating controller configurations and software versions; and
• Support for multiple generations of technology, wireless standards, and vendors through a single console interface.