Meru Networks, which specializes in virtualized and optimized 802.11n enterprise networking solutions, announced it is expanding the service assurance platform to optimize Wireless LAN or "WLAN" application performance and accelerate migration to an All-Wireless Enterprise.

As part of this expansion, Meru Networks plans to offer a powerful suite of wired and wireless management, spectrum analysis, and security and compliance services designed to deliver IT organizations the ability to proactively manage and optimize the end-to-end performance of the entire WLAN infrastructure.

With these services IT organizations will have the ability to offer users reliable and seamless mobility, despite the constant strain that an increasing number of applications and devices have placed on wireless environments, company officials said.

The new management, security and diagnostic tools are offered as part of Meru Service Assurance Platform and are powered by Meru's underlying Virtual Cell technology.

The new Meru Service Assurance Platform delivers an integrated suite of proactive diagnostic, security and management tools. Existing service offerings, including Service Assurance Manager, E(z)RF Network Manager and E(z)RF Location Manager, are complemented with a new set of security and diagnosis applications, Spectrum Manager, Intrusion (News - Alert) Prevention, Compliance Manager and Wired and Wireless Management, company officials added.

Meru's Wired and Wireless Management solution delivers a proactive set of performance monitoring products that run across both wired and wireless networks.

The company recently announced partnership with Solar Winds to offer two complementary network management solutions that, when used in conjunction, give IT managers granular, centralized management and reporting for the majority of network devices and elements on the enterprise network.

Meru's E RF Network Manager and SolarWinds (News - Alert) Orion Network Performance Monitor or "NPM" together enable IT organizations to increase efficiency in the initial deployment and ongoing operation of their entire network.

Proactive Spectrum (News - Alert) Manager or "PSM," is a standalone system that offers spectrum analysis to address the wireless interference issues and resulting performance degradation. PSM is a standalone system that is separate from the AP but located on the WLAN to help IT detect and avoid interference and 'noisy' channels, the company noted.

Meru combines the proactive protection of a wireless intrusion prevention system or "WIPS" with comprehensive monitoring and verification to offer a comprehensive security management solution for virtualized WLANs. With Meru's multi-layered security model, which spans from the virtual layer to the physical layer, the wireless network is protected and secure for managing sensitive data.

The company also announced plans to add new capabilities for managing credit card data through its Compliance Manager. All organizations that handle credit card data must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard or "PCI (News - Alert) DSS"

"Wireless networking has infused virtually all aspects of the enterprise, as users from the remote office to the manufacturing floor have come to expect predictable yet untethered access to data, video and other applications services from their device of choice," Ram Appalaraju (News - Alert), senior vice president of marketing at Meru, said.

These expectations have placed considerable pressure on IT to create a networking environment that will be flexible and reliable, yet operationally efficient.

Meru's new solutions will enable enterprises to offer their users a consistently productive experience with the ability to proactively manage and mitigate application performance issues, Appalaraju added.