Press Release: New WatchGuard Appliances Bring Highly Secure Mobile Connectivity - Electronics Design, Strategy, News

New WatchGuard Appliances Bring Highly Secure Mobile Connectivity

Asia-Pacific Connections Pte Ltd

(Product Announcements, 11/3/2008)

WatchGuard Technologies, a global provider of network security solutions, today announced an exciting extension to its industry-leading product line of unified threat management (UTM) solutions. In response to the critical security needs of enterprises with globally distributed networks, the new secure socket layer (SSL) virtual private network (VPN) stand-alone appliances are designed to make it easier and cheaper for IT administrators to manage remote and mobile workers connected to the corporate network.

With WatchGuard SSL 1000 and WatchGuard SSL 500, remote workers and partners can now access applications and resources from any notebook, desktop PC or mobile device with a web browser anytime and anywhere – without the hassle and expense of client software support, without the risk to internal network resources, and without the overhead associated with traditional remote access security.

Why These SSL VPN Appliances are Timely
“Due to increased globalisation and regulation, Frost & Sullivan expects the Asia Pacific SSL VPN market to grow at over 31 per cent in 2008, becoming an ever-increasing percentage of the overall network security landscape,” said WatchGuard Vice President Asia Pacific, Norbert Kiss. “Widely accepted as a strong viable technology for secure remote access, we recently added SSL VPN capabilities to our Firebox line of multi-function security devices. Now, we are offering stand-alone SSL VPN appliances that can work side-by-side with our UTM products – or they can be deployed in a mixed network environment. Either way, mobile workers can now enjoy maximised productivity, with seamless robust authentication for identity management and powerful endpoint protection for uncompromised network connection.”

What this Means to WatchGuard’s Channel
“At our Asia Pacific Channel Partner Conference held earlier this month, we listened to what our Distributors and Resellers say they want, and this product certainly meets their needs,” said WatchGuard Worldwide Director of Marketing Communications and Channel Marketing, Mark Romano. “Enterprise resellers will naturally want to add these appliances to their portfolio; especially given these appliances are the price-performance leaders across all our competitors. But our resellers in the small-to-medium enterprise (SME) space will also find them attractive as a solution in their lucrative market.”

“As an incentive, we will include the SSL VPN appliances as part of our popular “Trade Up” Programme, for customers seeking to upgrade their legacy systems or for those seeking a superior price performance alternative,” continued Romano.

WatchGuard SSL 1000 and 500 Stand-alone Appliances
The WatchGuard SSL 1000 and 500 are highly secure remote access solutions designed for any enterprise that operates a myriad of mobile devices and platforms. The SSL VPN appliances utilise web browsers or thin clients, endpoint integrity checking, network interface control, virtual desktops and session cleanup to deliver business applications to remote users for maximum productivity. Unlike competitive SSL VPN appliances, WatchGuard SSL 1000 and 500 deliver the most-comprehensive array of authentication, identity management and security features, as well as support for the broadest number of devices – giving companies the most-secure remote access solution via the broadest set of access options.

Key Features and Benefits
Multiple features make the new WatchGuard SSL VPN appliances ideal for mobile-rich, heterogeneous application environments. Key features include:
• Clientless SSL VPN Access – eliminates the hassle of having to install proprietary software on every client device, whilst giving employees full remote access to all their applications
• Strong Authentication – allows administrators to use SMS and software-based two-factor authentication, as well as 14 additional methods of authentication – including token support for RSA, VASCO and VeriSign – which builds on IT investment protection for superior network security
• Single Sign On – allows users to seamlessly access information without having to repeatedly re-authenticate, which reduces helpdesk issues and enables users to be more productive
• Federated Identity – allows for sophisticated environments, such as business-to-business networks or company/departmental relationships, to give users seamless access to multiple or disparate resources
• Endpoint Integrity – examines every user device before it connects to the network, which reduces risk and provides for contiguous integrity and enforcement of security policies
• Administrative and Management Features – with real-time scanning capabilities, automatic session cleanup, ActiveX and Java client support – as well as consolidated and comprehensive audit capabilities – administrators will appreciate having full control over remote workers

Pricing and Availability
WatchGuard SSL 1000 and 500 appliances will be available in Asia Pacific from WatchGuard resellers by early April. The list price for the WatchGuard SSL 1000 (10-user licence) is US$8,500 and for the WatchGuard SSL 500 (10-user licence) is US$5,000.

About WatchGuard Technologies Inc.
Since 1996, WatchGuard Technologies Inc. has been the advanced technology leader of network security solutions, providing mission-critical security to hundreds of thousands of businesses worldwide. The WatchGuard Firebox X family of wired and wireless unified threat management (UTM) appliances provide extensible network security, in-depth analysis, and unparalleled network visibility, management and control.

WatchGuard products are backed by WatchGuard LiveSecurity Service, an innovative support, maintenance, and education programme. WatchGuard is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and has its Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Singapore, with other offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Delhi, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo.

For more information, please visit www.watchguard.com.

WatchGuard, LiveSecurity, Fireware, Core, Peak, and Firebox are either registered trademarks or trademarks of WatchGuard Technologies Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.