Aventail Releases New Smart Tunnelling Architecture VPN Platform



Patent-pending Smart Tunnelling establishes new precedents for remote access to all UDP, TCP, IP protocols and supports VoIP


-/3 May, 2005 - Wi-Fi Technology Forum/-Aventail has leapfrogged over other IPSec and SSL remote access solutions with the release of its new VPN platform. Incorporating Aventail?s patent-pending Smart Tunnelling architecture for the first time, Aventail now delivers a single VPN solution that unifies complete control and security with universal application access to all UDP, TCP, IP protocols and back connect applications, such as VoIP.

Aventail Smart Tunnelling is a Layer 3 tunnel with Layer 4 through 7 policy control, providing a direct, secure communication link between the end point and the application and any reverse connection back to the end device. IPSec VPN solutions, such as Cisco and Nortel, use a Layer 3 tunnel without any application layer policy control, which can result in potential security breaches and open access to the network. Plus, IPSec solutions can not be used in many remote access scenarios. Other SSL VPNs like Juniper, offer a Layer 3 tunnel ?add on? solution, which has to be managed via a separate policy engine, is subject to network conflicts and lacks bidirectional tunnel controls.

With this release, Aventail is the only VPN to provide centralised management and comprehensive end point control for all access methods, users, resources and devices. For the first time, this allows companies to deploy one solution to easily manage all remote access requirements, increasing productivity for users and IT staff while lowering overall total cost of ownership. Employees, partners and customers can now access critical applications from everywhere, whether from a home PC, caf? hotspot, Internet kiosk, or behind a firewall at a client premise -- as if they were in the office.

?Aventail?s new technology is the first solution on the market to combine the full functionality of an IPSec solution with the granular access, policy control and traversal capabilities of an SSL VPN,? said Zeus Kerravala, vice president of research, Security Practice, Yankee Group. ?The timing is good, since many IPSec solutions are approaching the end of their product life cycle and enterprises are starting to seriously look at remote access solutions.? The Aventail Smart SSL VPN includes four key new technological features that advance Aventail?s leadership in the global VPN category and set it apart from its competition:

1. Smart Tunnelling

Available in a client or clientless option, Aventail Smart Tunnelling is a Layer 3 tunnel with Layers 4 to 7 control policy control. Importantly, Smart Tunnelling is integrated with Aventail?s centralised policy model. All other VPN solutions on the market today either provide limited application reach or compromise full access by allowing security and policy gaps.

2. Adaptive Access

Research estimates that for 20 to 30 percent of the time, users can not get access to the network or applications they need, resulting in support calls or decreased productivity. Adaptive Addressing dynamically resolves IP addressing and routing conflicts and ensures NAT and proxy traversal ? without the user or administrator needing to do anything.

3. Bidirectional Tunnel Control

Aventail Bidirectional Tunnel Control secures all tunnel traffic between the end device and application and any reverse connection back out to the end user. Bidirectional security is vital for back connect applications like VoIP and remote helpdesk support. For example, without reverse connection control, users not authorised can connect out through the tunnel directly to remote devices or a virus could corrupt remote devices.

4. Cross-platform End Point Control.

Aventail is the first SSL VPN to provide cross-platform end point control capabilities, giving Mac and Linux users easier and broader application access and allowing network administrators to set granular access policies and ensure security for non-Windows machines.

"Based on the capabilities of this new solution, there is no longer any compelling reason to deploy or upgrade an IPsec solution for remote access,? said Evan Kaplan, president and CEO, Aventail. We intend to aggressively go after the installed base of IPSec remote access concentrators, as well as new VPN deployments, because the Aventail appliance now demonstrates superior ease of access, security and manageability, with a much lower total cost of ownership compared to either IPSec or other SSL VPNs.?

The new Aventail Smart SSL VPN version 8.5 will be available mid May, distributed via Aventail?s more than 300 channel partners worldwide. Pricing starts at $6,995 for the Aventail EX-750, a full-featured, clientless SSL VPN appliance tailored to small to mid-sized enterprises; and at $9,995 for the Aventail EX-1500 appliance, a scalable, enterprise-class solution, integrating high availability and load balancing support.



?We are excited about this release because now we can go to our customers and prospects with a single solution to handle all remote access, at a time when this market is starting to take off,? said Mark Hatton, Managing Director of Sphinx, the Distributor for Aventail in the UK. ?Aventail?s new Smart Tunnelling technology is really cutting edge and leading the market.?

About Aventail

Aventail is the leading SSL VPN product company and the authority on secure application access technology. Aventail delivered the first SSL VPN solution in 1997, and today, Aventail meets the secure communication needs of more than one million end users in over 75 countries. Aventail?s family of SSL VPN appliances increases productivity for end users and IT professionals, while maximizing security and lowering costs. Aventail appliances are built on Aventail?s proven platform, which leads the industry in End Point Control, policy management, and transparent, easy-to-use access options to the broadest range of applications. Aventail is the SSL VPN of choice among leading enterprises and service providers worldwide, such as AT&T, DuPont, IBM Global Services, MCI, Office Depot, Sanyo, and TNT. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Aventail has an extensive global network of channel partners and sales support offices. For more information, go to http://www.aventail.com.