Avaya solves challenges of secure converged communications for businesses with new VPN solutions

With two new additions to its virtual private network (VPN) portfolio, Avaya Inc, a leading global provider of voice and data networks to businesses, is enabling enterprises to meet the communications challenges of a mobile and distributed workforce with cost-effective, convergence-ready security solutions for small and home offices.

The new gateways are the Avaya Virtual Private Network Service Unit (VSU)-5 and the Avaya VSU-10000. Both address the issues enterprises face in deploying VPN security over broadband DSL and cable connections to small and home offices. They enable delivery of converged content such as voice over VPN (VoVPN) and address the issues of provisioning, ease-of- use and administration, making it possible for organizations to support deployments which range from a few remote sites to the largest of distributed enterprise networks.

The new VSUs are part of Avaya`s full suite of VPN and security solutions that enable organisations of all sizes to leverage business enhancing benefits of the Internet such as anywhere/anytime access and low cost. Avaya`s VPN solutions shield the enterprise network from attack from hackers and protect the confidentiality and integrity of business communications over shared IP data networks.

The VSU-5 is a unique entrant into the small office and home office VPN market segment because it delivers business-class IP voice services over broadband data networks to small enterprises or home offices. As a result, enterprises can now deploy flexible workforce solutions that give workers, whether at home or in the office, the same access to the full-set of enterprise phone and data services.

The VSU-10000 is a high speed, high capacity VPN tunnel aggregation device that is designed to support large mobile and teleworker populations using Avaya`s VPNremote desktop client software or VSU-5 small office gateway. The VSU-10000 meets the demanding security requirements of gigabit networks by delivering VPN performance up to 400Mbps and support for up to 10 000 concurrent VPN sessions.

"Securing converged communications is becoming a key competitive issue for enterprises as the lines between voice and data communications infrastructure continue to fade, " said Graham Celine, vice president, solutions management, MultiService Networking Infrastructure group, Avaya. "Businesses want to know that their phone conversations are safe, that they can secure e-mail and voice messages, and that their wireless networks are secure, whether it`s inside or outside of the office. Avaya`s VPN solutions are scalable, interoperable, and easy to deploy, which makes them ideally suited to any office environment."

"Avaya is taking the right approach by integrating VPNs with their voice and data solutions and applications," said Jeff Wilson, executive director, Infonetics Research, an international market research and consulting firm that covers the networking and telecommunications industries. "The VSU-5 and VSU-10000 gateways are well positioned, given that we are seeing tremendous interest in VPNs in the small and medium business and large enterprise markets."

Today Avaya also announced its Avaya VPNremote 4.0 client software, a desktop application for Microsoft Windows operating systems which gives end-users and administrators simple, effective, secure remote access. It is available worldwide and is free to enterprises and service providers when they buy Avaya`s VSU security gateways.

Avaya`s VSU-5, VSU-10000, existing VSU models and VPNremote client software are fully interoperable and fully supported by Avaya`s award-winning VPNmanager, a policy-based platform that allows administrators to centrally manage all configuration and policy information and distribute it transparently throughout the entire network. Avaya`s VPN gateways are based on International Computer Security Association (ICSA) standards for interoperability performance and received the "Best in Test" award from Miercom (November, 2001, www.mier.com) which was published in Business Communications Review (November 2001, www.bcr.com).

The VSU-5 enables enterprises and service providers to deploy VPN security to small and home offices over broadband connections, such as digital subscriber links or cable modems. It securely transfers converged IP content across public IP networks. For example, a contact centre with distributed workers using IP phones can use the VSU-5 to securely deliver voice and data services to those employees.

The VSU-5 has an intuitive Web interface that simplifies deployment and troubleshooting. The Avaya VSU-5 will be available worldwide in March 2002 through Avaya`s channels, distributors and resellers and will have a base list price of $795.

The VSU-10000 lets enterprises and managed data service providers effectively terminate large numbers of remote access and site-to-site VPN sessions in a single device. Up to 10 000 users can connect to their VPN at the same time.

The VSU-10000 delivers the high performance and built-in hardware redundancy that enable enterprises with many remote workers, hosted application service providers whose clients need many connections and high performance content delivery, or service providers which provide managed VPN services to deliver the high availability and scalable VPN performance required to keep their networks running.

The Avaya VSU-10000 is available worldwide in February 2002 from Avaya`s channels, distributors and resellers and will have a list price of $39 995.