Sales and lease ownership leader enables seamless roaming for associates and lets customers test-drive WiFi capable devices

Retail’s BIG Show – New York – January 16th, 2012 – Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARUN) today announced that Aaron’s, Inc., the nation’s leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of residential and office furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, has deployed a mobile access network based on the Aruba Mobile Virtual Enterprise (MOVE) architecture at more than 1,800 stores in 48 states and Canada. Aaron’s is using the network to enable workers to roam seamlessly between sites and to enhance customers’ experiences in the store.

“Mobility at Aaron’s is really taking off at a rapid pace,” said John Trainor, CIO for Aaron’s. “We have a very mobile workforce, with our regional managers, divisional vice presidents and many of our associates constantly moving from store to store. We want to make sure that they are all able to access their communications applications as they roam between stores. We also use the wireless network to demonstrate the WiFi capabilities of the products in our stores.”

Aaron’s stores carry WiFi-enabled items such as tablets, televisions, DVD players and other appliances. The new mobile network enables associates to demonstrate these products to new customers, and allows customers to get additional information about the products using QR codes. Aaron’s plans to implement tablet-based customer order forms to make the initial experience as smooth and seamless as possibl

In selecting a vendor for its mobile network, Aaron’s placed a high priority on security, an area where Aruba clearly stood apart from others in Aaron’s evaluations.

“We take a lot of care with our customer data, so having a strong, secure wireless network was key,” said Trainor. “We’re putting a wireless network in, but that’s actually only part of what we’re doing. By deploying Aruba in all of our stores,  we’re securing our network. That’s the way we explain it to the managers. We’re providing more security than we’ve ever had before, and, oh, by the way, you’re getting a wireless network out of it.”

The Aaron’s deployment today consists of two Aruba 6000 Mobility Controllers with M3 controller modules, and more than 1,900 Aruba AP-105 access points, all served by Aruba AirWave™ network management.

“Mobility is rapidly changing the way retailers engage their customers,” said Manish Rai, director of industry solutions marketing for Aruba. “Leaders like Aaron’s are realizing that in the mobile world, where competitors are just a click away, enhancing in-store customer experience is the key to success.”

For more information about Aaron’s mobile transformation, view this video on the Aruba web site: www.arubanetworks.com/video.php?v=case-studies/CS_Aarons_1080.mov&w=960&h=540

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 dramatically improves productivity and lowers 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, 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

© 2012 Aruba Networks, Inc. Aruba Networks’ trademarks include the design mark for AirWave, Aruba Networks®, Aruba Wireless Networks®, the registered Aruba the Mobile Edge Company logo, the registered AirWave logo, Aruba Mobility Management System®, Mobile Edge Architecture®, People Move. Networks Must Follow®, RFProtect®, Green Island®. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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