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NETGEAR LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE WIRELESS LAN SOLUTIONS DESIGNED FOR K-12 EDUCATION, ASSISTED LIVING, AND HOSPITALITY FACILITIES

High performance, flexibility and ease of use in an affordable new wireless controller with support for the complete range of NETGEAR PROSAFE Managed Access Points to better support the increasing BYOD trend and demand for wireless connectivity

SAN JOSE, California — May 19, 2014 — NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR) (www.netgear.com), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to businesses, consumers and service providers, has expanded its line of ProSAFE® business-class wireless products (www.netgear.com/business/products/wireless/) with two new products designed specifically to offer easy-to-deploy access for mid-sized hospitality facilities, K-12 schools, colleges, senior centers, assisted living centers, and other multi-tenant sites. The expanded NETGEAR family of ProSAFE wireless LAN products are designed for the special requirements of these markets: built with high performance, flexibility and ease of use in mind, while offering the best cost-performance solution on the market today.

  • The new ProSAFE WC7600 Premium Wireless Controller supports centralized management for the complete range of NETGEAR business-grade ProSAFE Managed Access Points, including singe-band and dual band products, with 2x2 and 3x3 options, as well as the newly announced WN370 Wall Mount Access Point.
  • The new ProSAFE WN370 Wall Mount Access Point with Power over Ethernet (PoE) offers a compact form factor specifically designed to enable wired and wireless connectivity in mid-sized multi-tenant sites, reducing the cost of running multiple Ethernet cables to each room.

The two new NETGEAR products enable K-12 schools, colleges, senior centers and assisted living centers to leverage wider BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) adoption, while hospitality sites such as small- and medium-sized hotels and motels can better support new wireless connectivity applications.

NETGEAR will hold a webinar beginning at 10:00 am PDT / 1:00 pm EDT, Tuesday, May 20, to discuss the benefits of these new business products. Registration is at https://cc.callinfo.com/r/12l32ykoexw30&eom/.

“We have listened to our customers in hospitality, education and healthcare, and they have told us that they are looking for solutions that enable them to add more users to the networks very quickly and easily, in denser deployment scenarios. They want flexibility in access point placement and in subscription options,” said Peter Newton, senior director of product management for NETGEAR’s Commercial Business Unit.

“To address this need, we’ve designed our stackable WC7600 Wireless Controller to make it easy to manage more access points for denser deployments, and the new ProSAFE WN370 Wall-Mount Access Point offers more placement options. Our licensing model enables customers to pay only for the licenses they need now, with the option to add more as they grow. Moreover, the WC7600 Wireless Controller is 802.11ac wireless-ready, providing investment protection for future applications or devices.”

Real-World Testimonials for NETGEAR ProSAFE Wireless Solutions

K-12 schools are responding to demand from tech-savvy students to offer true 21st century classrooms enabled by new wireless deployments. High performance, reliable and affordable wireless infrastructure is essential for delivering multimedia HD content and for managing and controlling the explosion of notebook computers, tablets and smartphones in the classroom.

Ken Rocha, principal of Harvest Park Middle School in Pleasanton, California, is enthusiastic about the NETGEAR wireless network in his school. “It’s critical for us to have a network that is both reliable and scalable, as so much of our curriculum is now tied to multimedia content reliant on Internet access, and the number of devices tapping the network changes frequently. Moreover, while we need the features offered by enterprise-caliber equipment, we have to closely manage our IT budget. For that reason, we chose NETGEAR and the ProSAFE WC7600 Premium Wireless Controller. It’s supremely easy to centrally manage multiple access points, and we appreciate the flexibility in licensing options that enable us to grow the network on our terms.”

Hospitality sites such as hotels and motels see ubiquitous and reliable wireless coverage as a must-have for both customer retention and revenue generation, as WiFi is consistently named as one of the top decision factors for hotel selection.

“Centrally managing access points through the NETGEAR WC7600 Wireless Controller couldn’t be easier,” said Eric Gorman, COO of IES-NY, the managing service provider for the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel and Conference Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. “We’re able to provide both wired and wireless access to hotel guest rooms via ProSAFE WN370 Wall Mount Access Points, while ProSAFE WNDAP660 Dual Band Access Points provide high throughput for high density areas such as our conference center rooms.”

Like schools and hotels, assisted living facilities, senior centers, student dormitories and other shared residential facilities need a reliable and fully featured centralized management solution that is easy to deploy, without complexity or high costs. These multi-tenant sites are looking to reduce the costs of running multiple Ethernet cables to each room, so a Power-over-Ethernet access point, such as the ProSAFE WN370 Wall Mount Access Point, is a perfect solution.

The New ProSAFE WC7600 Premium Wireless Controller

The ProSAFE WC7600 Wireless Controller (http://www.netgear.com/wc7600.aspx) is an all new, fully-featured, high performance wireless controller that manages the complete line of NETGEAR ProSAFE Managed Access Points. Designed with simplicity in mind for management and ease of use, it offers enterprise-grade functionality and capability for small to mid-sized organizations, but without the cost and complexity of big IT. The WC7600 is a scalable, secure mobile access solution that can support a small organization with dozens of users, with up to several thousand concurrent clients across 150 access points in a stacked arrangement.

With its Ufast™ protocol, the WC7600 delivers ultra-fast access point discovery, Layer 2 and Layer 3 fast roaming, a captive portal for guest access, a fully distributed architecture, and ease of configuration and management. A pay-as-you grow licensing model of ten access point licenses ensures that the organization only pays for what is needed.

The New ProSAFE WN370 Wall Mount Access Point

The ProSAFE WN370 Single Band 2.4GHz Wireless-N Wall Mount Access Point (http://www.netgear.com/wn370.aspx) is designed specifically for in-room coverage for wired and wireless access for small and medium-sized hotels and dormitories in educational facilities. The WN370 has a sleek, elegant, and compact design that enables the access point to be deployed in an inconspicuous manner and to be installed quickly even by non-technical personnel. The WN370 is powered with Power over Ethernet (PoE) with a 1 Gbps uplink and 4 (100 Mbps) Ethernet data ports, plus an additional voice port for connectivity to digital phones. The WN370 is centrally managed by the new ProSAFE WC7600 Wireless Controller, and offers automatic RF and power tuning with guest captive portal and comprehensive wireless security.

Other ProSAFE Premium Access Points

Previously managed in standalone mode only, the ProSAFE WNDAP660 and WNDAP620 Premium Wireless-N Dual Band Access Points can now be centrally managed by the new ProSAFE WC7600 Wireless Controller to offer high-performance wireless with throughput up to 450 Mbps* per radio. Existing and new deployments can now be fully integrated under one management platform. Additionally, customers can leverage the latest 802.11n beamforming technology to improve range and maximize data rates while integrated Power over Ethernet lowers deployment costs. The WNDAP660 has two 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) ports to maximize network redundancy and resiliency. It also offers dual band concurrent service on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio bands for maximum wireless throughput and near Gigabit performance. The WNDAP620 has one Gigabit Ethernet port and offers dual band availability on either the 2.4GHz or the 5GHz band.

The following is the complete list of ProSAFE Managed Access Points supported by the new ProSAFE WC7600 Wireless Controller:

  • ProSAFE WNDAP660 Premium Wireless-N Dual-Band Concurrent Access Point
  • ProSAFE WNDAP620 Premium Wireless-N Dual Band Access Point
  • ProSAFE WNDAP360 Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point
  • ProSAFE WNDAP350 Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point
  • ProSAFE WNDAP380R Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point (China only)
  • ProSAFE WN370 Single Band 2.4GHz Wireless-N Wall Mount Access Point
  • ProSAFE WNAP320 Wireless-N Access Point
  • ProSAFE WNAP210-200 Wireless-N Access Point

Pricing and Availability for New Products

These new NETGEAR business-grade wireless LAN products are available now through a broad variety of NETGEAR PowerSHIFT™ partners and authorized reseller and DMR channels. Below are the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) in the U.S., although final pricing for the end customer may vary depending on the reseller and bundled offerings:

  • ProSAFE WC7600 Premium Wireless Controller with 2 basic access point licenses: $3,079 MSRP
  • ProSAFE WC10APL 10 Access Point License: $1,056 MSRP
  • ProSAFE WN370 Single Band 2.4GHz Wireless-N Wall Mount Access Point: $219 MSRP
  • ProSAFE WNDAP660 Premium Wireless-N Dual-Band Concurrent Access Point: $829 MSRP
  • ProSAFE WNDAP620 Premium Wireless-N Dual Band Access Point: $715 MSRP

More Information

NETGEAR ProSAFE business products provide world-class reliability and are backed by the industry-leading ProSAFE Lifetime Hardware Warranty and Lifetime Next Business Day** replacement.

About NETGEAR, Inc.

NETGEAR (NASDAQGM: NTGR) is a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers. For consumers, the company makes high performance, dependable and easy to use home networking, storage and digital media products to connect people with the Internet and their content and devices. For businesses, NETGEAR provides networking, storage and security solutions without the cost and complexity of big IT. The company also supplies top service providers with retail-proven, mobile broadband solutions for their customers on the go. NETGEAR products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless, Ethernet and Powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. NETGEAR products are sold in approximately 49,000 retail locations around the globe, and through approximately 39,000 value-added resellers. The company's headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in over 25 countries. More information is available at www.NETGEAR.com or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR at twitter.com/NETGEAR and www.facebook.com/NETGEAR.

©2014 NETGEAR, Inc. NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, ProSAFE, ProSupport, PowerSHIFT and UFast are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective holder(s). Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.

* Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE standard 802.11 specifications. N450 equals 450 Mbps @2.4 GHz 802.11n. Actual data throughput and wireless coverage will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate and wireless coverage. NETGEAR makes no express or implied representations or warranties about this product’s compatibility with any future standards.

** Warranty conditions vary on a regional basis. Customer should consult with their local NETGEAR representative for applicable support services.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for NETGEAR, Inc.: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Specifically, statements concerning NETGEAR's business and the expected performance characteristics, specifications, reliability, market acceptance, market growth, specific uses, user feedback and market position of NETGEAR's products and technology are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the following: the actual price, performance and ease of use of NETGEAR's products may not meet the price, performance and ease of use requirements of customers; product performance may be adversely affected by real world operating conditions; failure of products may under certain circumstances cause permanent loss of end user data; new viruses or Internet threats may develop that challenge the effectiveness of security features in NETGEAR's products; the ability of NETGEAR to market and sell its products and technology; the impact and pricing of competing products; and the introduction of alternative technological solutions. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect NETGEAR and its business are detailed in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. NETGEAR undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

U.S. Media Contact:

Jocelyn Shaw, Weber Shandwick for NETGEAR, (415) 262-5904, jshaw2@webershandwick.com

U.S. Sales Inquiries: (408) 907-8000, sales@netgear.com

U.S. Customer Inquiries: (888) NETGEAR