Meru Networks, a leader in intelligent networking and the only wireless LAN vendor to have received OpenFlow™ conformance, today announced that the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah has deployed an extensive Meru Wi-Fi network to address high densities of mobile devices used in the 679,000 square foot facility. The network includes Meru Connect and Network Manager.
“Facilities like the Salt Palace must be able to serve a massive number of Wi-Fi devices while providing the highest performance and reliability possible,” said Bart Allen, assistant general manager and director of operations, Salt Palace Convention Center. “Meru’s access points, WLAN controller and network management tools allow us to deliver multiple custom-branded networks to exhibitors, monitor the system in real-time and adjust access points as necessary, so that our attendees have the best Wi-Fi experience possible.”
The Salt Palace Convention Center is an integral part of downtown Salt Lake City and hosts a variety of large tradeshows, attracting an average of 700,000 visitors annually. The Salt Palace uses Meru AP433 wireless access points supported by a MC4200 WLAN controller. Meru was chosen by the Salt Palace for a variety of reasons, including its channel-layering capabilities, which increase capacity when compared to other Wi-Fi solutions.
“The ability to layer channels and stack them throughout the facility using Meru Network Manager was very intriguing and the reason why we initially chose Meru,” said Allen. “The ability to see how each of our APs is performing allows us to act quickly to deploy additional APs wherever we see higher densities of traffic.”
The Salt Palace uses Meru Network Manager to provide visibility and control of the network. The software’s intuitive, web-based interface delivers superior ease-of-use, making IT more efficient in performing everyday management tasks. Meru Connect enables secure on-boarding of exhibitor and attendee mobile devices, and lets exhibitors offer custom-branded wireless networks with custom sign-on for their visitors during events.
“Providing high-speed and reliable wireless connectivity has become an important requirement for large public venues,” said Sarosh Vesuna, vice president and general manager of the enterprise business at Meru. “Attendees and exhibitors at Salt Palace events rely on the wireless network to provide a seamless experience no matter where they roam in the venue. Meru enables the Salt Palace to offer the high-quality connectivity that their organizers, exhibitors and attendees demand.”
