Meraki releases industry’s first cloud-managed routers

SAN FRANCISCO – January 13, 2011 – Meraki, the cloud networking company, today announced the release of the Meraki MX series cloud-managed routers, integrating web-based centralized management, a next-generation firewall, internet gateway service, and application traffic shaping in an easy-to-use, affordable device.

The MX series includes two models: the MX50, ideal for small branches, and the powerful MX70 for medium and large branches. Both models feature cloud-based centralized management, which provides seamless multi-site networks, automatic security, signature and feature upgrades, and network-wide monitoring. This cloud platform also offers an intuitive browser-based user interface that eliminates specialized training and dedicated staff.

“The Meraki MX70 provides us with control over our network with a single box that is very easy to install and use,” said Joshua Voelkert, Senior IT Analyst at the County of Sacramento, who beta-tested the new MX70 router. “The MX70 delivers on its promise of a network that simply works. By using the MX70, it is fantastic to be able to remove two monitoring systems and replace them with one, which has reduced our support costs by 60 percent.”

BT recently used the MX70 to provide to provide network connectivity to 4,000 clients at Le Web 2010, a Web 2.0 conference in Paris, France.  The MX70’s powerful hardware delivered high-performance connectivity, transferring over a terabyte of data during the two-day conference. Application-aware (Layer 7) traffic shaping ensured that bandwidth was evenly shared between the 4,000 clients, limiting peer-to-peer applications while prioritizing web browsing and real-time applications.

Feature Rich

The MX series integrates dozens of key features, providing functionality that typically requires multiple devices:

  • Cloud-based centralized management
  • Layer 7 application firewall and traffic shaper
  • Site to site VPN
  • Routing, DHCP and firewall

The MX series also offers a number of innovative new features such as automatic detection and monitoring printers, showing printer ink levels across remote branches.

Built on Meraki’s Proven Cloud Platform

The MX Series’ cloud management system is built on Meraki’s proven cloud platform, which currently powers over 17,000 networks worldwide. This platform’s multi-tenant, geographically distributed architecture is highly available and scalable and — MX routers may be deployed in single standalone networks, or in massively distributed networks with thousands of branches.

Two Software Editions for Versatile Deployment

The MX50 and MX70 are each offered in two editions:

  • Enterprise Edition provides cloud-based centralized management, routing, and application traffic shaping.
  • Advanced Security Edition builds on the Enterprise Edition, adding site-to-site VPN and next-generation firewall capabilities.

Innovative Networking as a Service pricing

MX Series routers are available through Meraki’s innovative Networking as a Service pricing program, a new pay-as-you-go pricing model for cloud-managed network infrastructure. Networking as a Service eliminates upfront hardware costs, increases flexibility, and reduces risk in network deployments.

Under Networking as a Service, customers obtain MX routers through an annual subscription, with no upfront hardware costs. Customers can grow, shrink, or upgrade their network at any time.

MX series routers start at $35/month. This all-inclusive price includes hardware, software licenses, ongoing upgrades, maintenance, and support, with no hidden fees.

About Meraki
Meraki is the leader in cloud networking with over 17,000 networks deployed worldwide.  Meraki’s cloud networking solutions combine rich enterprise features with intuitive web-based management that eliminates specialized training and certifications. Meraki is located in San Francisco, California and is funded in part by Sequoia Capital and Google. For more information, visit https://meraki.com/