Tropos Networks Integrates
Atheros Communications Technology into its Metro-Scale Wi-Fi Mesh Products
Atheros Chipset Selected to Deliver
High-Performance and Robust Security to Tropos Networks’ Next-Generation
MetroMesh Routers
SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 27, 2005—Atheros
Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHR), a leading developer of advanced wireless
LAN (WLAN) chipsets, today announced that Tropos Networks, the leading supplier
of equipment used to build metro-scale Wi-Fi mesh networks, has selected the
Atheros AR5004G 802.11g chipset to support its next generation line of MetroMesh
routers. Tropos Networks has incorporated Atheros’ technology for the first time
into its 5210 Outdoor MetroMesh Router, 3210 Indoor MetroMesh Router and 4210
Mobile MetroMesh Router. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a Tropos Networks customer, is
deploying the new line of routers to support its metro-scale Wi-Fi mesh network
used by law enforcement officers and other public safety officials.
Tropos Networks’ line of MetroMesh routers enables
high-performance wireless mesh connectivity over very large and dynamic urban
zones, as well as rural areas, and provides wireless coverage to any standard
802.11g or 802.11b client device. The company’s solutions provide ubiquitous
metro-scale coverage and high scalability, while ensuring minimal installation
and cabling costs and rapid deployment time. Tropos’ solution also allows
different user groups within a municipality to run and manage separate, secure
networks on a single metro-scale Wi-Fi mesh infrastructure.
“For our customers, particularly municipalities and their
various departments, the ability to segment and secure the network is critical.
Atheros’ technology supports multiple SSIDs to create up to 16 VLANs – each with
a unique identifier,” said Ron Sege, president and chief executive officer of
Tropos Networks. “Atheros enables us to leverage our Predictive Wireless Routing
Protocol (PWRP) to deliver the strong security, high subscriber capacity and
reliable connectivity that our customers who run mission-critical applications
on their networks depend on and demand.”
Atheros’ chipsets feature an Advanced Encryption Standard
(AES) encryption engine, enabling real-time support for full 802.11i security.
Atheros was the first company to support 802.11 AES encryption in hardware,
introducing the technology with the launch of its dual-mode products in 2002.
AES encryption is supported by all of Atheros 802.11a/g and 802.11g chipsets,
allowing real-time encryption with no degradation of operating data rates for
the computing, consumer electronics and wireless broadband markets.
“Tropos Networks is synonymous with metro-scale Wi-Fi
connectivity and our work with the company attests to the versatility and
flexibility of our chipsets in any environment,” said Craig Barratt, president
and chief executive officer of Atheros Communications. “We are excited about
providing the technology behind Tropos’ first 802.11g solutions, especially as
the company begins to pioneer vehicular wireless connectivity and other
cutting-edge applications.”
About Tropos Networks, Inc.
Tropos Networks is the proven leader in delivering truly
ubiquitous, metro-scale Wi-Fi mesh network systems. We deliver the fastest,
lowest cost and simplest wireless broadband access solutions, as demonstrated by
the world’s largest installed base of metro-scale Wi-Fi mesh networks. Our
innovative MetroMesh™ architecture with our patented Predictive Wireless Routing
Protocol™ (PWRP) allows public safety agencies, municipalities and service
providers to quickly and easily deliver city-wide fixed and mobile multi-megabit
connectivity for IP-based voice, video and data applications. PWRP is the first
and only metro-scale optimized, radio-agnostic, wireless mesh routing protocol,
which does with routing software what other approaches attempt to do with
expensive hardware. The result is 10x better price/performance than any other
approach to the broadband last mile. Tropos Networks is headquartered in
Sunnyvale, California. For more information, please visit www.tropos.com, call
408-331-6800 or write to info@tropos.com.
About Atheros Communications, Inc.
Atheros Communications is a leading developer of
semiconductor system solutions for wireless communications products. Atheros
combines its wireless systems expertise with high-performance radio frequency
(RF), mixed signal and digital semiconductor design skills to provide highly
integrated chipsets that are manufacturable on low-cost, standard complementary
metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Atheros technology is being used by
a broad base of leading customers, including personal computer and networking
equipment manufacturers. For more information, visit
www.atheros.com or send email to
info@atheros.com.
# # #
Atheros and the Atheros logo are trademarks
of Atheros Communications, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this document
are the sole property of their respective owners.
Tropos Networks, Tropos, MetroMesh, PWRP and
Metro-Scale Mesh Networking Defined are trademarks of Tropos Networks, Inc. All
other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective holder(s).
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
Except for the historical information
contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including
statements regarding the features, performance and benefits of Atheros’ and
Tropos Networks’ products, the potential applications of these products, the
deployment of these products by municipalities, and Tropos’ development of
products for vehicular and other new applications, are forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited
to, difficulties in development and manufacture of new products and upgraded
products, unforeseen problems in the performance of products upon broad
deployment of these products, whether a significant number of municipalities and
other local and regional governments deploy wireless networks, general economic
conditions, the effects of governmental regulation, and other risks detailed in
Atheros’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 as
filed with the SEC and in other reports filed with the SEC by Atheros from time
to time. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof.
Atheros disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Cheryl Patstone, 408-773-5344, cheryl@atheros.com,
or Greg Wood, A&R Partners, 650-762-2838,
gwood@arpartners.com,
For analyst contact: Deborah Stapleton, Investor
Relations for Atheros, 650-470-0200,
deb@stapleton.com
