BLACKWIRE 500 SERIES PROVIDES A RICH USER EXPERIENCE FOR TODAYS MODERN WORKFORCE UC EXPO – London, UK –

Business processes and communications are set for a significant change with advancements like wearable tech, sensors and contextual intelligence entering the workplace. Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) continues to commit to innovation, creating state-of-the-art headsets with Smart Sensor™ technology that are technologically advanced and rise above the noise in any business environment.

Plantronics’ headsets are the ideal choice for IT department’s UC deployments by improving productivity and collaboration, and fostering innovation with the integration of Smart Sensor technology. This is especially important since a recent Plantronics survey found that only 36% of office workers feel they have the right tools and knowledge to for flexible working and only 63% have received specialist training on how to work flexibly. .

New Sweat Proof BackBeat GO Bluetooth Stereo Headset from Plantronics, Now Available in White

London, UK – 21st March 2013 – Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today announced that its smallest and lightest earbud-style headphones, the BackBeat® GO is available in white and includes new design improvements. Perfect for the urban lifestyle, mobile professionals and commuters can easily take calls or listen to music, podcasts and watch videos in premium stereo from their Bluetooth enabled smartphone, tablet or MP3 player, unencumbered by wires. Design enhancements include exclusive nano-coating technology from P2i, which protects the earbuds from sweat and other moisture damage, be it environmental or accidental. Other improvements include increased max volume, up to eight-device memory and pre-installed ear stabilizers. Extremely lightweight and compact, the BackBeat GO provides rich stereo sound at only 13 grams. The noise-cancelling microphone ensures optimum clarity in communications and its location on the cord allows you to take calls, change music tracks and adjust the volume easily and quickly.

The BackBeat GO features

•  Lightweight, compact design, now in white, weighing in at just 13 grams
•  Up to 4,5 hours talk time or audio playback and 10 days of standby time
•  A2DP for audio streaming – music, movies and more
•  Digital noise reduction for improved call quality and built-in echo cancelling
•  Headset battery meter for Android™ or iPhone users displays the charge left on    the headphones at a glance
• Protection against damage caused by perspiration and moisture through nano-coating technology .

CONNECTS ALL YOUR DEVICES, REDUCES NOISE AND IS VOICE ACTIVATED

Plantronics Introduce the Apple iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy SIII to its perfect companion, the Marque 2, Plantronics’ smallest and lightest Bluetooth headset, weighing in at just seven grams. Stylish and smart, with the Marque 2 you can listen to music or stream GPS direction from the new Maps app on Apple iOS6, all while managing calls without pressing buttons – just say “Answer” or “Ignore.” Dual microphones reduce noise and wind for clear and crisp call quality or chatting with Siri.

The Marque 2’s new DeepSleep™ power-saving mode means it is always ready when you are with up to seven hours of talk time, 11 days of standby or 180 days in hibernation mode. For added convenience there is even a dual charger for simultaneously charging your headset and phone from either your computer or car, and an on-screen battery meter on your iPhone or Android smartphone.

Stuart Bradshaw, Head of Consumer Marketing Europe & Africa at Plantronics said, “The Marque 2 is perfect for those who want a light and discrete headset that is the perfect partner for their new Apple iPhone or Android device. It is stylish, sleek and easy to stream music and listen to podcasts. With the new DeepSleep technology, there is no need to carry around a bulky charger, just slip the wireless headset on and off you go.”

Also available with the Marque 2 is Plantronics’ new Find MyHeadset Android application, a free app that allows you to find your missing Plantronics headset fast. Regardless of whether the headset is on or off, charged or not, recently missing, or lost for weeks, Find MyHeadset™ offers people two unique ways to find their Plantronics device. Send a Tone plays a tone on any powered on and connected Plantronics headset that enables the customer to hear where their device is hiding. The BackTrack™ feature displays the date, time and Google-mapped location of the last several headset events recorded by the phone. Customers can retrace their steps to remember the last location where they used their headset.

Key Features include:

• Dual microphones enhance noise reduction
• DeepSleep mode that extends battery life for up to 180 days
• Just say “Answer” or “Ignore” to handle your calls
• Combination 2-in-1 charging kit charges your headset and phone simultaneously from your computer or car (car charger also included)
• Universal-fit gel eartip conforms to all ear shapes
• Use your headset to listen to music, movies, Internet radio, and GPS
• Lightweight, compact design, weighing 7 grams
• Find MyHeadset app for Android 2.3 and above, will help you find your headset when you have misplaced it
• Up to 7 hours of talk time, 11 days of standby or 180 days in DeepSleep hibernation mode.

BRIDGEWAVE RAISES THE BAR FOR MILLIMETER WAVE 4G/LTE BACKHAUL SOLUTIONS WITH FLEX4G.

BridgeWave Communications,the leading supplier of 4G millimeter wave backhaul solutions, today announced the launch of Flex4G, its newest family of high-capacity, multi-gigabit wireless solutions for backhaul of next-generation networks. Flex4G builds on BridgeWave’s extensive experience with millimeter wave solutions by providing a highly integrated platform with advanced features that allow operators to minimize their total cost of ownership.

Earlier this month, Cisco released an update to its Visual Networking Index, Global Mobile Traffic Forecast Update 2012 – 2017. Mobile data traffic is forecasted to grow 13-fold between 2012 and 2017, a CAGR of 66 percent, and mobile traffic will reach 11.2 exabytes per month by 2017. As next generation LTE networks evolve, a backhaul solution is needed that provides carriers with the lowest TCO, while maintaining flexibility and scalability to meet these exploding data traffic demands.

Flex4G’s exclusive Silicon Germanium RF technology enables high power operation, while the extraordinary level of integration yields exceptional reliability. BridgeWave’s advanced digital signal processing technology used in Flex4G provide line-rate, full-duplex 1Gbps in an ETSI-standard, single 250 MHz channel using only 32QAM modulation, with improved link budgets compared to other solutions using 64QAM.

Through its built-in low-latency switch, Flex4G enables Carrier-Ethernet functionality with flexible Quality of Service, VLAN awareness, Provider Bridging, Congestion Management and Ring Protection. Carrier-Ethernet capabilities are further enhanced by comprehensive Ethernet OAM management and advanced timing through support of SyncE and 1588v2.

“Bargaining power of MNOs puts a lot of pressure on selling prices for any kind of network equipment”, said Esteban Monturus, Backhaul Market Analyst at Maravedis-Rethink. “This fact is especially important for the relatively young millimeter wave market, which addresses similar use cases to the more mature microwave backhaul industry. Millimeter vendors replacing discrete components by high-performance RF chipsets get valuable cost advantage which enables them to compete head-to-head with microwave technology in the last mile. Broader millimeter spectrum availability and lower spectrum license cost compared to microwave can thus be fully leveraged.”

“The holy grail in MMW backhaul has been the combination of high capacity in a lightly utilized and licensed frequency band with a cost structure comparable to that of traditional microwave products”, said Amir Makleff, president and CEO of BridgeWave Communications. “Flex4G achieves this mission based on BridgeWave’s highly integrated Silicon Germanium, mQFN packaging and digital signal processing technologies.” .

Ruckus Wireless, Inc. today unveiled a suite of four new Smart Wi-Fi mobile applications that will greatly assist system integrators, value-added resellers and network administrators in conducting site surveys and wireless LAN (WLAN) performance tests, as well as remotely monitoring Ruckus Smart WLAN environments and conducting performance comparisons between Ruckus and third-party Wi-Fi access points.

Developed by Ruckus, this suite of Smart Wi-Fi mobile applications includes the SpeedFlex™, S.W.A.T.™, Zapper™, and ZD Remote™ apps, and each are available now at no cost on the Apple iTunes App Store and other online outlets.

“Anyone who has ever deployed a wireless network of any size clearly understands how difficult it can be to optimize Wi-Fi performance and coverage,” said Rob Mustarde, VP of Marketing for Ruckus Wireless. “We wanted to radically simplify this process with tools that are intuitive to use and understand, and which offer a compelling value in the data they deliver.”

With the new Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi mobile applications, network managers are now able to determine where to best place Wi-Fi access points (APs) for optimal coverage and performance. In addition, users can use these Ruckus tools, such as Zapper, as a mechanism for making statistically valid performance comparisons between different vendor systems, with the ability to view all the comparative performance data on the same screen.

“These kinds of tools are invaluable for schools like ours that have large scale deployments in numerous sites,” said Joe McBreen, CIO of St. Vrain Valley School District. “Wi-Fi performance is a constantly moving target that ebbs and flows as conditions change. Arming our administrators with these mobile apps helps us to reduce the operational headaches that often come with Wi-Fi.”

St. Vrain Valley School District, a district consisting of 47 schools located in Longmont, Colorado, recently replaced its legacy Wi-Fi with a Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi solution. St. Vrain is a 411-square-mile district with 27,000 students. More than 1,000 802.11n ZoneFlex™ access points now provide Wi-Fi access for a myriad of applications.

SpeedFlex Delivers Real-Time Wi-Fi Performance Data

For iOS and Android users, SpeedFlex is a wireless throughput performance-testing tool based on the Ruckus open source performance test tool that gives users a simple, easy way to collect site performance data. This throughput based analysis tool can be used to validate the performance of an existing installation, or assist in planning a new site deployment. SpeedFlex captures real-time throughput (uplink/downlink), packet loss and site data, and lets users take pictures and send an email with the results packaged in a PDF file.

S.W.A.T. (to the Rescue) Helps Speed the Site Survey Process

S.W.A.T. is a wireless assessment tool for performance testing, and site survey companion to Ruckus SpeedFlex. This easy to use Ruckus app gives users a simple way to collect comprehensive site performance data. It can be used to validate the performance of an existing installation, or assist in planning a new site deployment. By connecting to a SpeedFlex server, such as a Ruckus ZoneFlex AP or ZoneDirector controller, network managers can instantly test network throughput. With S.W.A.T., users can also plot the results with a graphical representation of their actual test environment. The Android version of S.W.A.T. allows users to see RSSI, channel, frequency and data rates.

Zapper Delivers Best and Worst Case Performance Analysis for Any Wi-Fi System

Zapper is a real time performance analysis tool. Built on the open source ZAP wireless library, this application lets users test the performance of an existing network, validate APs, and perform competitive testing to help make accurate comparisons.

Zapper presents results in a unique and easy-to-understand cumulative distribution function (CDF) graph. The CDF representation visually communicates the full distribution of expected throughput rates against the percentage probability of that throughput at the specific test location. This gives administrators a much more complete picture of the expected performance of their Wi-Fi network so they can adequately plan for worse case scenarios as well as compare the actual performance of different vendor access points.

ZD Remote Brings Simplified WLAN Management to Mobile Devices

Designed for use with the Apple iPad, Ruckus ZD Remote is for users of the Ruckus ZoneDirector™ management appliance. ZD Remote offers real-time monitoring of Ruckus Smart WLANs to provide stats, dashboard widgets, client details and live logs. With ZD Remote, administrators can easily monitor one or more ZoneDirector controllers on a mobile device. Going forward, ZD Remote will add select ZoneDirector configuration controls, allowing administrators to quickly and easily manage their Ruckus WLAN environments.

Availability

SpeedFlex is now available for the Apple iPad and iPhones (iOS 5.1 or later) via the Apple iTunes App Store, and will be available for Android smartphones by the end of March 2013 via the Google play store. SpeedFlex S.W.A.T. is also currently available on the Apple iTunes App Store for Apple iPad (iOS 5.1 or later), and is also now available for Android tablets (7″ and larger) via the Google play store. Zapper is also available now via the Apple iTunes App Store, and is compatible with the Apple iPad (iOS 5.1 or later), with future support for Android devices. ZD Remote will be available by the end of March 2013, with initial support for the Apple iPad (iOS 5.1 and higher), and with future support for Android devices.

Proxim Wins "Best Mobile Wireless Broadband Video Surveillance Solution" Award.

Proxim has been awarded the 2013 Government Security News (GSN) Platinum Award for “Best Mobile Wireless Broadband Video Surveillance Solution” for its Tsunami™ MP.11 HS 4454 broadband product. The 2013 GSN awards were formally announced at the Border Security Expo occurring March 12-13, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Product Applications

The MP.11 HS 4454 product has the features to deliver real-world performance for a variety of real-world applications. In particular, the flexibility and features of the product allow it to excel when delivering HD video security and surveillance coverage. As just one example, the MP.11 HS 4454 product can be configured to deliver real-time video from an unmanned vehicle in the air to people on the ground driving in their vehicle. A pictorial demonstration of the uninterrupted video coverage that can be enjoyed by ground personnel (even while moving between base stations) is being included on Proxim’s website.

In addition to border patrol and security, the MP.11 HS 4454 product can be used to provide ultra-secure, cost-effective, high-performance connectivity in a wide variety of other public safety applications, such as secure communication networks, perimeter security, transportation system monitoring and telemetry, and remote monitoring of city streets, airports, bridges, seaports, transportation hubs, offices, warehouses, and other areas.

Product Applications Proxim’s MP.11 HS 4454 product benefits from Proxim’s 20+ years of experience in developing wireless broadband equipment and the technological performance and differentiation enabled by Proxim’s proprietary Wireless Outdoor Routing Protocol (WORP®) software. Specific features that differentiate the MP.11 HS 4454 product include:

• Being the only radio that can support both the NATO (4.4 – 5.0 GHz) and unlicensed 5 GHz (5.2 – 5.8 GHz) frequency bands in a single radio product
• Being software configurable such that a single hardware SKU can serve in a Point-to-Point (PtP) or Point-to-Multipoint (PtMP) configuration (and as either a base station or a subscriber unit in a PtMP setting)
• Enabling mobility ensuring uninterrupted connectivity for a subscriber unit moving at up to 120 miles per hour and even roaming from one base station to another
• Being certified as FIPS 140-2 level 2 compliant providing ultra-secure connectivity

All of these differentiating features and flexibilities were specifically designed by Proxim to meet the real-world needs and desires of its customers in this market.

Of course, the MP.11 HS 4454 product shares other features with Proxim’s other radio products powered by Proxim’s proprietary WORP software such as:

• OFDM radio technology
• Carrier-grade Quality of Service (with up to 512 service level classifications possible)
• Increased spectral efficiency
• RF interference avoidance via dynamic shifting to a less-congested channel
• Centralized management
• Small form factor
• Low power consumption
• Easy and fast installation – audible tone and real-time signal strength measurement enabling quick installation without having to pull wired cables
• Designed for use in harsh environmental conditions (IP67 Rating)
• High power output enabling long operating distances. In fact, the MP.11 HS 4454 product has enabled real-world connectivity at a distance of over 50 miles at a 48 Mbps data rate. .

Ruckus Wireless, Inc. today announced the launch of its dual-band concurrent ZoneFlex™ 7055 Wi-Fi wall switch, the first of its kind in the world. The ZoneFlex 7055 Wi-Fi wall switch gives hotel and resort operators an elegant, low-cost and inconspicuous solution that leverages their existing wired infrastructure, while enabling the delivery of high-speed Wi-Fi to support an ever-expanding assortment of IP-based guest services over multiple virtual LANs (VLANs).

The only integrated solution in the industry to offer the simultaneous operation of 2.4 and 5 GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi along with wireless meshing, the ZoneFlex 7055 Wi-Fi wall switch uniquely combines wired and wireless connectivity within a universal low-profile form factor (13.6 cm square by 30 cm deep) that fits into any standard United States or European electrical junction box, among others.

Since introducing the first 802.11n Wi-Fi wall switch in 2009, Ruckus Wi-Fi wall switches have now been installed in over 100,000 hotel rooms in some of the world’s most prestigious properties such as the Mandarin Oriental New York, the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas, the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, the Star City Casino in Sydney, the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa, and many more.

“The ZoneFlex 7055 now lets us better support new smartphones and future 802.11ac devices that only operate within the channel-rich 5 Gigahertz band,” said David Heckaman, VP of Information Technology for Mandarin Oriental in North America. “Like many hotels, the costs of running additional Ethernet cabling into every room to enable new services like IPTV while needing to provide a reliable Wi-Fi experience we’re daunting. This new Ruckus Wi-Fi wall switch will effectively solve these problems for us.

” One of the world’s most prestigious hotels, the five-star Mandarin Oriental New York, situated in New York’s Columbus Circle overlooking Central Park, is one of the first organizations to test the new ZoneFlex 7055 Wi-Fi wall switch and has been using ZoneFlex 7025 Wi-Fi wall switches in hundreds of its guest rooms.

“Since installing Ruckus Wi-Fi wall switches, we’ve seen phenomenal improvements in performance and reliability,” said Heckaman. “But the ultimate endorsement has been the resounding silence we’ve heard from our guests. Wi-Fi complaints are now the exception and not the rule.” Mandarin Oriental New York is one of seven acclaimed Mandarin Oriental hotels that have now installed Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi, including their properties in Tokyo, Manila, Jakarta, Sanya (China), London, and Hong Kong.

Introducing the ZoneFlex 7055

Functioning as a standalone device or managed centrally by the Ruckus ZoneDirector™ wireless LAN (WLAN) controller, the ZoneFlex 7055 Wi-Fi wall switch is an ideal solution for hotels, schools and large institutional organizations wishing to address the proliferation of 5 GHz capable client devices like the Apple iPhone 5 and others, while continuing to support 2.4 GHz and wired access.

Featuring dual 802.11n (2x2:2) radios and 16 virtual WLANs (SSIDs), the ZoneFlex 7055 Wi-Fi wall switch offers up to 600 Mbps of throughput. The ZoneFlex 7055 also features a Gigabit Ethernet uplink port, plus four front-facing Fast Ethernet ports that provide wired connectivity for guests, IPTV systems, and other networked in-room devices such as printers, minibars and environmental control systems.

The new Ruckus ZoneFlex 7055 delivers 802.3af Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) to power devices such as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, using one of its front-facing Ethernet ports. An additional pass-through port allows direct wired connectivity for devices that need to bypass the Ethernet switch altogether or provide a guest with VLAN connectivity. It can be powered by 802.3af/PoE through the uplink port, which means only a single cable drop is required behind the wall. In the absence of PoE, a standard power adapter can also power the ZoneFlex 7055.

With support for Ruckus Wireless SmartMesh Networking, the ZoneFlex 7055 is an excellent solution for buildings where running Ethernet cable behind the walls is difficult or prohibitively expensive. In-room wired and wireless access can be provided in several rooms, each hosting a single ZoneFlex 7055 powered by a power adapter and meshed with a centrally wired (root) access point (AP). Since only the root AP requires a cabled Ethernet uplink, multiple rooms are covered with just a single cable drop.

High Performance, 802.11n Mid-Range Smart Wi-Fi Access Points with Adaptive Antenna Technology The Ruckus ZoneFlex 7372 delivers high-performance and reliable 802.11n wireless networking at the industry’s most affordable price point.

Unlike any other 802.11n wireless solution in its class, the ZoneFlex 7372 combines patented adaptive antenna technology and automatic interference mitigation to deliver consistent, predictable performance at extended ranges with up to an additional 4dB of BeamFlex gain on top of the physical antenna gain and up to 10dB of interference mitigation.

Additional performance enhancements to signal gain can be attributed to the chip-based transmit beamforming capability adding 3 dB when associated to a compatible client. The 7372 is also ideal for client performance with mobile devices that constantly change orientation with dual-polarized antennas that adapt to hand-held device movement.

Each ZoneFlex 7372 integrates Ruckus-patented BeamFlex, a software-controlled, high gain antenna array that continually forms and directs each 802.11n packet over the best performing signal path. The ZoneFlex 7372 automatically selects channels for highest throughput potential using Ruckus ChannelFly dynamic channel management, adapting to environmental changes.

Once deployed, enterprises never have to worry about constant site surveys as the environment changes. A sleek and low-profile design, the ZoneFlex 7372 was purposebuilt for cost-minded enterprises requiring reliable high speed client connectivity. It is ideal for a variety of enterprise and hotspot environments including hotels, schools, retail outlets, branch offices and public venues.

High Performance 2x2:2 Integrated Wired/Wireless Wall Switch.

The Ruckus ZoneFlex 7055 is the industry’s first dual band concurrent wired and wireless wall switch that integrates high-speed 802.11n Wi-Fi into an ultra-sleek, low-profile design that can be quickly and discretely installed in a standard wall junction box.

Ideal for offering converged services within hotel guest rooms and university dormitories, the ZoneFlex 7055 provides an easy way to offer multiple connections into a single room without multiple cables.

The ZoneFlex 7055 delivers high performance 2.4GHz and 5 GHz 802.11n wireless coverage and four wired Ethernet access connections that can be used to support a range of in-room IP device and user connectivity options. An additional pass-through port allows connectivity for digital phones that requires native access to an in-house PBX system.

An IEEE 802.3af-compliant POE port, up to 6.5 watts, powers devices such as IP telephones directly from the wall switch. The ZoneFlex 7055 requires only a single POE cable drop thereby reducing cabling, switch ports, and power sourcing equipment.

The ZoneFlex Wi-Fi Wall Switch is completely inconspicuous, minimizing the protrusion off the wall to make in-room cabling and furniture arrangement simple. Flexible deployment options allow the ZoneFlex 7055 to be easily installed via two uplink Ethernet options: an RJ-45 Ethernet jack or a 110 punch down block connection.

The ZoneFlex 7055 can be deployed as a standalone device or centrally managed by the Ruckus ZoneDirector or FlexMaster Wi-Fi system management platform.

With the ability to broadcast up to 8 SSIDs per radio, the ZoneFlex 7055 supports port-based VLANs. Authentication options include: 802.1x, MAC-based, captive portal, LDAP, RADIUS, Active Directory and through an internal user database..

DUAL BAND SMART WI-FI OUTDOOR AP.

The Industry’s Highest Capacity, Highest Performing Access Point with Adaptive Antenna Technology and Smart Wi-Fi Meshing The ZoneFlex 7782 Series is the first dual-band 802.11n outdoor access point (AP) to integrate adaptive antenna technology coupled with transmit beamforming (TxBF) to enable much longer range signals, and more resilient mesh connections that automatically adapt to interference and changing environmental conditions.

The ZoneFlex 7782 Series implements Ruckus-patented BeamFlex™ smart antenna technology that enables consistent, high-performance, extended coverage and multimedia support in the most challenging RF environments. BeamFlex combined with TxBF is capable of delivering up to 9 dB of signalto-interference-plus-noise (SINR) improvement above the antenna gain and up to 15 dB of interference mitigation. Ruckus ChannelFly dynamic channel management optimizes client throughput up to 50 percent by selecting the best channel to operate on.

Supporting advanced Smart Mesh Networking, the Ruckus ZoneFlex 7782 Series is perfect for service providers looking to quickly and economically expand branded broadband services, offload data traffic from congested 3G networks, deploy multimedia hotspots or offer wireless broadband services where fixed line access is limited.

The ZoneFlex 7782 Series can be centrally managed by the ZoneDirector Smart WLAN controller or the Smart Cell Gateway (SCG) 200 as part of a unified indoor/outdoor wireless LAN, deployed as a standalone AP and managed individually, or through the FlexMaster remote Wi-Fi management system.

A Web-based wizard allows any computer user to configure ZoneFlex 7782 Series — creating a secure and sophisticated WLAN in a matter of minutes.

Ruckus ZoneFlex 7782 Series simply plugs into any Ethernet network and automatically discovers the ZoneDirector or SCG 200. No RF tuning, no client configuration needed. The small, lightweight hardware unit is designed for easy installation and to minimize the visual impact and public awareness challenges of introducing new infrastructure to a public venue..