Aruba Networks and Babylon Telecom Deliver Internet Access to U.S. Troops in Iraq

PITTSBURGH, Sep 29, 2008 (ASCRIBE NEWS via COMTEX) -- ARUN | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Aruba Networks, a provider of wireless LANs and secure mobility solutions, announced that its wireless networks have been deployed by Babylon Telecommunications at Joint Base Balad in Iraq to provide Internet access to over 20,000 soldiers.

Prior to this deployment, there was no authorized Internet access at the base for the individual soldiers, making it difficult for troops to stay in touch with loved ones and affecting morale. Babylon Telecommunications was awarded a contract by the Army & Air Force Exchange Services (AAFES) to handle the integration services and provide Internet service at Joint Base Balad, the largest US military base in the region.

Aruba was selected for the project because of its mesh technology, ruggedized outdoor access points, and ability to handle high densities of users. Mesh technology enables Wi-Fi access points to be located, and relocated, anywhere within a base without installing data cabling. Laptops are located in clusters throughout the bases, and dozens of laptops are served by each access point. Aruba's client-to-core security ensures the privacy of communications and protects the integrity of the network.

"The early results have been very positive, and we believe the new system has boosted troop morale by giving soldiers a high-speed link home for voice calls and sending and receiving emails, photos, and videos," said Chris Catranis, Babylon Telecommunications' CEO. "Aruba's mesh network is very reliable and cost-effective: the deployment required half the amount of equipment of competing vendors. The network is also easy to manage because we don't need any local controllers -- everything is managed from one central controller."

Aruba's secure mobility solutions deliver networks to users by integrating adaptive wireless LANs, identity-based security, and multi-vendor network management into a cohesive, high-performance system. Adaptive wireless LANs deliver robust connectivity to roaming users in need of high-speed data, toll-quality voice, and streaming video applications. Identity-based security associates policies with users instead of network hardware, delivering follow-me security that enhances mobility regardless of how or where the network is accessed.

"Distilled to their essence, networks connect people, and it's easy to forget how isolated one can feel when the sense of connectedness is gone," said Dave Logan, Aruba's General Manager of Federal Solutions. "The Aruba wireless networks deployed by Babylon Telecommunications have reestablished those connections for countless soldiers and their families. We toil to make our networks robust and secure, but rarely pause to consider the impact our products have on the people who use them. Not so in this case. The employees of Aruba Networks are enormously proud to be involved in such a benevolent application of our technology to those in service to their country."

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