[October 07, 2015] |
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NETGEAR Introduces First Quad-Mode Business-Class Wireless-AC Access Points for Easy and Scalable Centralized Management
NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTGR) (www.netgear.com),
a global networking company that delivers innovative products to
businesses, consumers, and service providers, is launching two new
quad-mode business-class 802.11ac wireless Access Points (AP) that
support four different modes of management. The new ProSAFE® WAC730
Business 3x3 Dual Band Wireless-AC Access Point (News - Alert) and ProSAFE
WAC720 Business 2x2 Dual Band Wireless-AC Access Point for small to
mid-sized organizations (SMBs) are on view in Stand 20 of the IP
EXPO Europe running today and tomorrow in the ExCeL London exhibition
center (www.netgear.com/business/products/wireless/business-wireless).
This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151007005001/en/
ProSAFE WAC720 Business 2x2 Dual Band Wireless-AC Access Point (Photo: Business Wire)
The new ProSAFE Access Points currently operate in standalone mode or
the new NETGEAR Ensemble Mode Management. Ensemble enables
centralized configuration and management by the AP of up to 10 APs as a
single group, without requiring additional hardware, licenses or support
fees. This capability makes them a perfect solution for demanding,
high-throughput environments, offering ultra-superior performance and
extensive coverage in SMB, K-12, and hospitality deployments.
When used in larger deployments, these APs are also ready to support
controller management as well as cloud management through NETGEAR
Business Central, a cloud-based IT service platform (http://wireless.netgear.com).
Support for both NETGEAR ProSAFE WC7600 and WC9500 Controllers and for
Business Central is scheduled to become available in the first quarter
of 2016, with requisite licenses and controllers sold separately.
The two 802.11AC wireless Access Points launching today are:
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ProSAFE WAC730 Business 3x3 Dual Band Wireless-AC Access Point
The NETGEAR ProSAFE WAC730 is a high performance 3x3 business class dual
band 802.11ac wireless Access Point that can support an aggregated
throughput of up to 1.7Gbps* (450Mbps for 2.4GHz band and 1.3Gbps
802.11ac for 5GHz band).
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ProSAFE WAC720 Business 2x2 Dual Band Wireless-AC Access Point
The NETGEAR ProSAFE WAC720 is a high value 2x2 business class dual band
802.11ac wireless Access Point that can support an aggregated throughput
of up to 1.2Gbps* (300Mbps for 2.4GHz band and 867Mbps 802.11ac for 5GHz
band).
"For most businesses, standalone access points are no longer feasible as
configuration changes become routine rather than occasional. Meanwhile,
the jump to a managed wireless LAN controller can be costly and
demanding on both IT budgets and resources," said Peter Newton, senior
director of product management for the NETGEAR Commercial Business Unit.
"Our new 802.11ac Access Points supporting quad-mode operation bridge
the gap, offering flexibility, scalability and ease-of-use as standard
features. These products represent the broadest and most flexible
wireless management choice at price points designed with SMBs in mind."
Quad-mode operation offers significant investment protection. In the
NETGEAR Ensemble Mode, these ProSAFE Access Points act as a
stepping-stone for growing organizations that are deploying more APs to
support an increasing number of devices on their wireless networks - a
small business headquarters operations with APs on several floors;
shopping centers offering wireless access to tenants and visitors;
churches; community centers; or small schools. Ensemble enables these
types of organizations to migrate from standalone APs to a managed
solution without incurring a heavy IT cost, and at a pay-as-you-grow
pace that suits their needs. As their networks grow and need to manage
even larger groups of access points, they can simply add additional
Ensemble groups, a NETGEAR ProSAFE Wireless Controller, or the
cloud-based NETGEAR Business Central Wireless Manager. Being able to
deploy the APs in all management modes offers investment protection for
years to come.
"We have deployed NETGEAR products for more than 10 years, and the
range, throughput, and reliaility of the ProSAFE WAC730 and WAC720
Access Points are the best I have seen. NETGEAR continues to create
solutions that demonstrate their focus on simplicity, reliability, and
cost-effectiveness for their customer base," said Eric Gorman, COO of
Integrated Enterprise Solutions, Inc. of New York. "The Ensemble Mode
Management of the new Wireless-AC Access Points delivers a perfect
solution for customers that put investment and ease-of-use at the top of
their selection criteria."
Said James Bricknell, technical director of ATG (News - Alert)-IT Ltd. in the U.K., "I
really put the new ProSAFE Wireless-AC Access Point through its paces in
our production environment. The sturdiness of the new design and chassis
was comparable to competitors at a much higher price point, and the
ultra-high performance achieved by the dual band 802.11ac did not
struggle with anything we threw at it. The improved and simplified user
interface was a very welcome addition, making configuration of the AP a
breeze. The new Ensemble Mode Management makes this a very attractive
proposition when considering APs for a distributed installation."
Key Product Features and Benefits
The new Access Points build on the proven and award-winning NETGEAR
design footprint used for existing APs such as the ProSAFE WNDAP660 and
WNDAP360 models. The new WAC730 and WAC720 Access Points are 40 percent
smaller and include additional capabilities such as Bonjour® Gateway to
support Apple (News - Alert)® devices across multiple subnets in a given network.
NETGEAR has included Ensemble Mode Management capability in the new
Access Points at zero cost to customers. Ensemble puts intelligence
control right in the APs, enabling the business to initiate common
firmware updates as well as monitor client connectivity and share of
traffic across APs, all through a centralized dashboard. As the
management function is hosted on the AP, operational administrative
tasks that are relevant to traditional controller architectures are
eliminated - the purchase, update, support renewal, and hardware
maintenance of a separate controller is not required. In the event of an
AP failure, Ensemble will make adjustments to ensure that the group
works cooperatively - sharing and updating appropriate settings to
provide a smooth and seamless wireless network with no downtime.
Key product points include:
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Business class with superior 802.11ac performance - up to 1.7Gbps for
WAC730 Access Point and up to 1.2Gbps for WAC720 Access Point
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Reliable data delivery:
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3 x 3 (Transmit x Receive) with 3 streams of data for 2.4GHz
(450Mbps) and 5GHz (1.3Gbps) for WAC730 Access Point
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2 x 2 (Transmit x Receive) with 2 streams of data for 2.4GHz (300
Mbps) and 5GHz (867Mbps) for WAC720 Access Point
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Dual Band concurrent operation with backward compatibility to 802.11n
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Power over Ethernet (802.3af) for ease of deployment
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Ease of use with simple and intuitive graphical user interface
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Free Ensemble management for groups of up to 10 APs
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Comprehensive security with WPA and WPA2 and MAC address Access List
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Compatible-ready for NETGEAR Business Central Wireless Manager and
ProSAFE WC7600 Wireless Controller and ProSAFE WC9500 Wireless
Controller, for businesses needing to manage larger groups of APs (availability
in Q1 2016; controller and licenses are required and will be sold
separately)
Pricing and Availability
The new ProSAFE access points will become generally available this month
through authorized NETGEAR partners and other reseller channels and
ecommerce sites in North America, Europe and China. Regional variance
may apply to the final pricing for end customers, depending on the
reseller and bundled offerings.
In the U.S., the MSRP for the ProSAFE WAC730 Business 3x3 Dual Band
Wireless-AC Access Point is $689. The ProSAFE WAC720 Business 2x2 Dual
Band Wireless-AC Access Point is $449.
More Information
About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR (NASDAQ: NTGR) is a global networking company that delivers
innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers. The
Company's products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as
wireless, Ethernet and powerline, with a focus on reliability and
ease-of-use. The product line consists of wired and wireless devices
that enable networking, broadband access and network connectivity. These
products are available in multiple configurations to address the needs
of the end-users in each geographic region in which the Company's
products are sold. NETGEAR products are sold in approximately 39,000
retail locations around the globe, and through approximately 31,000
value-added resellers. The company's headquarters are in San Jose,
Calif., with additional offices in approximately 25 countries. More
information is available at http://investor.netgear.com
or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR at www.twitter.com/NETGEAR
and www.facebook.com/NETGEAR.
©2015 NETGEAR, Inc. NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, and ProSAFE are
trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. and/or its
affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand and
product names are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective holder(s). The information
contained herein is subject to change without notice. NETGEAR shall not
be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained
herein. All rights reserved.
* Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE (News - Alert) standard 802.11
specifications. Actual data throughput and wireless coverage will vary.
Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of
network traffic, building materials and construction, and network
overhead, lower actual data throughput rate and wireless coverage.
NETGEAR makes no express or implied representations or warranties about
this product's compatibility with any future standards.
** Lifetime Technical Support is provided via free phone support for
the first 90 days, and via free online chat thereafter. Next Business
Day Shipping may not be available in all localities worldwide. Customer
should consult their local NETGEAR representative for applicable support
services. For more information, see www.netgear.com/business/documents/prosafe-lifetime-warranty/default.aspx.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995 for NETGEAR, Inc.: This press release contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Specifically, statements
concerning NETGEAR's business and the expected performance
characteristics, specifications, reliability, market acceptance, market
growth, specific uses, user feedback and market position of NETGEAR's
products and technology are forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Safe Harbor. These statements are based on management's
current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties,
including, without limitation, the following: the actual price,
performance and ease-of-use of NETGEAR's products may not meet the
price, performance and ease-of-use requirements of customers; product
performance may be adversely affected by real world operating
conditions; failure of products may under certain circumstances cause
permanent loss of end user data; new viruses or Internet threats may
develop that challenge the effectiveness of security features in
NETGEAR's products; the ability of NETGEAR to market and sell its
products and technology; the impact and pricing of competing products;
and the introduction of alternative technological solutions. Further
information on potential risk factors that could affect NETGEAR and its
business are detailed in the Company's periodic filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. NETGEAR undertakes no obligation to
release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements
contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date
hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151007005001/en/
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