UPDATE 1-Aruba Networks posts Q3 profit, sees strong Q4

* Q3 adj EPS 1 cent vs est loss $0.01

* Q3 revenue up 8 pct

* Sees Q4 adj EPS $0.01-$0.02

* Sees Q4 sales above est

* Shares rise 11 percent

BANGALORE, May 21 (Reuters) - Aruba Networks Inc (ARUN.O), a wireless LAN vendor, posted a surprise third-quarter profit and forecast strong results for the current quarter, sending its shares up as much as 11 percent in after the bell.

"In this difficult economic environment, enterprises and organizations are rethinking their current IT infrastructure and we believe that wireless will increasingly be used as a replacement for and/or cost-saving complement to wired networks," Chief Executive Dominic Orr said in a statement.

During the third quarter, the company -- which supplies equipment for secured wireless network used in offices -- added more than 500 new customers, it said on a conference call with analysts.

Aruba posted a third-quarter net loss of $5.8 million, or 7 cents per share, compared with a loss of $6.2 million, or 8 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding items, the company earned 1 cent per share.

Revenue rose 8 percent to $45.8 million.

Analysts expected a loss of a cent, excluding items, on revenue of $42.8 million, according to Reuters Estimates.

The company forecast fourth-quarter earnings of 1 cent to 2 cents a share, before items, on revenue of $48 million to $50 million.

Analysts on average were looking for breakeven earnings per share, excluding items, on revenue of $44.9 million.

Shares of the Sunnyvale, California-based company were up 54 cents at $5.68 after the bell. They closed at $5.14 Thursday on Nasdaq.

For the alerts, double-click [ID:nWNAB2612][ID:nWNAB2665] (Reporting by Shrutika Verma in Bangalore; Editing by Himani Sarkar)