Avaya Introduces New Line of Gateways that Increase Security of Communications on Converged Enterprise Networks
Security Gateways Address Top Priorities of IT Executives; Optimize IP Telephony Applications for Distributed Enterprises
Monday, July 21, 2003
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. , US - Avaya Inc. (NYSE:AV), a leading global provider of communications networks and services for businesses, today announced five new security gateways that significantly increase the security and simplify the deployment of Internet protocol (IP) telephony applications on converged communications networks. The Avaya Security Gateways, now available, have been designed to optimize the benefits of secure IP communications for branch offices, telecommuters, contact centers and other segments of the distributed enterprise.
The gateways reduce risk and help information technology (IT) executives address the requirements of increasingly distributed enterprises, such as supporting 24/7 communications for branch offices, enhancing capabilities for contact center agents, and delivering headquarters-quality communications to home office workers. Each security gateway integrates virtual private network (VPN) functionality, firewall coverage and IP telephony support, providing IT executives with one centralized system that delivers secure, cost-effective communications. In combination with end-to-end support, planning and design from Avaya Global Services, the gateways are a powerful solution for protecting converged networks.
The gateways and supporting services are an integral part of the Avaya Trusted Communications Framework, the company's strategic approach to enterprise security and business continuity that enables organizations to communicate safely using any device, in any location. Security hardware and software, including VPNs, rank among the highest priority items for IT executives today, according to the Goldman Sachs IT Spending Survey, March 2003.
"Avaya's new security gateways address a core enterprise networking issue ? helping enterprises secure their internal and external online transactions and communications," said Peter Bernstein, president, Infonautics Consulting, Inc. "The power of IP-enabled systems and applications cannot be fully realized without assuring that workplace communications are consistently secure and the risk of compromise is low."
Protecting Converged Networks ? Inside and Out
Avaya's family of Security Gateways meets the needs of distributed enterprises of any size. The Avaya SG203 and SG208 have been created for use in headquarters locations of medium- to large-sized businesses supporting multiple locations worldwide. The Avaya SG5 and SG5X address the demands of telecommuters, mobile workers and remote small office/home offices. The Avaya SG200 targets the specific requirements of small to medium-sized enterprises, as well as distributed branch office locations.
The Avaya Security Gateways enable businesses to extend the entire suite of Avaya MultiVantage? Communications Applications ? which encompasses telephony, contact centers, messaging and unified communication ? to end users both external (e.g. outsourced contact centers, business partners) and internal (e.g. telecommuters, remote branch offices). They also enhance the benefits of Avaya's flagship IP telephony software, Avaya Communication Manager, which incorporates media encryption.
To protect converged networks against external risks, the gateways provide a secure perimeter firewall that protects against Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks ? security breaches that can destroy system files or force Web sites to temporarily cease operation. By integrating critical security defenses, along with VPN functionality and IP telephony support, the Avaya Security Gateways help businesses safely share IP applications with third party environments.
These systems also enable remote employees and telecommuters to access headquarters-quality communications securely from any location. For example, home-based workers have a cost-effective, 'always-on' connection to their VPN, enabling secure access to advanced communications capabilities, such as six-party conferencing and speech access to corporate directories. For employees in transit, the gateways support encrypted voice and data IP communications via mobile device or laptop, allowing sensitive information (e.g. credit card data, business conversations) to travel securely over a wireless Internet connection.
Other significant benefits of the Avaya Security Gateways include:
Centralized Management: The gateways can be set up for centralized management, enabling IT executives to manage all of their VPNs and firewalls using a single, software interface. The interface brings simplicity and cost-savings to security management, allowing firewall/VPN policy updates to be rapidly communicated to hundreds of gateways throughout an organization's global converged infrastructure.
Business Continuity: If a company's primary server fails at headquarters, the branch office's security gateway can continue to deliver configuration information to IP phones in the branch office.
This is because the security gateway can act as a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)1 server with IP phone configuration, enhancing business continuity in a distributed IP environment.
Quality of Service (QoS): The gateway features an integrated bandwidth manager that can be customized to allocate specific bandwidth for up to 4 different classes of communications (such as e-mail, Internet access, and voice), according to enterprise needs. A gateway can be set to automatically identify and prioritize IP telephony voice traffic, raising the quality of service (QoS) in a distributed environment.
The gateways are part of the Avaya Trusted Communications Framework, a multivendor approach to security and business continuity that lowers the risk of communicating via any device, on any network. The framework is based on the Avaya Communications Architecture, which provides businesses with a roadmap for evolving their communications. Mapping with the architecture, Avaya's framework delivers applications, systems and processes that incorporate security to help protect converged networks. The framework also incorporates Avaya Global Services, which provides expert consulting, design, implementation and management to enterprises, and serves as a single point of accountability for converged networks. The Enterprise Security Practice, offered through Avaya Global Services, helps businesses identify risks and manage systems and applications for secure communications in multivendor networks.
"Avaya delivers communications solutions that incorporate a strong line of defense against hackers, viruses and other security threats to converged networks," said Micky Tsui, vice president, communications systems division, Avaya. "As more organizations seek to improve business results through IP telephony, we are committed to helping them evolve to the next level of communications with confidence. Avaya's new gateways accelerate that evolution."
One company addressing communications security as a top priority is Kingston General Hospital of Ontario, Canada, which deployed a mobile system to provide real-time monitoring of lab results, pharmacy and patient data. Using Avaya solutions, the Queen's University Anesthesiology Informatics Laboratory at Kingston General Hospital provides doctors in its anesthesiology department with mobile PDAs to communicate over a secure wireless VPN.
"Secure communications is an essential element of our communications solution and will play a crucial role in our evolution to IP communications," says Mike Rimmer, director of technology and development for the Queen's University Anesthesiology Informatics Laboratory at Kingston General Hospital. "Avaya's gateways are helping us rapidly share critical information, and increase our productivity through greater mobility. This streamlines the decision-making process, while ensuring that patient and hospital data remains secure and confidential."
Avaya Security Gateways are available worldwide. Basic pricing is as follows:
SG5: $695 (SG5: Pro: $995); SG5X $895 (SG5X: Pro: $1,195); SG200: $1,695; SG203: $6,995; SG208: $14,995
About Avaya
Avaya Inc. designs, builds and manages communications networks for more than 1 million businesses worldwide, including 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500?. Focused on businesses large to small, Avaya is a world leader in secure and reliable Internet Protocol (IP) telephony systems and communications software applications and services.
Driving the convergence of voice and data communications with business applications ? and distinguished by comprehensive worldwide services ? Avaya helps customers leverage existing and new networks to achieve superior business results. For more information visit the Avaya Web site:
http://www.avaya.com
1 Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) software, typically run in servers, assigns IP addresses to client stations logging onto a TCP/IP network.
Source: Avaya
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