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BladeFusion, IBM BladeCenter Combine to Create a Powerful Multi-Bladed Security Solution for the Enterprise and Telecom Markets

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 November 2004, 09:00 CST

COMPUTER SECURITY INSTITUTE CONFERENCE, WASHINGTON, D.C, November 9

/PRNewswire/ -- BladeFusion today announced the industry's first open system-based multi-bladed security switch solution for enterprises and telco's.

Powered by IBM eServer BladeCenter, the new BladeFusion IP-X 1000 Secure Operating Environment combines best of breed security applications with the industry's most powerful blade server solution, allowing customers to consolidate multiple components of a security infrastructure onto a single platform to create a more powerful, more resilient, cost-effective and easier-to-manage security gateway solution.

"This announcement represents a major breakthrough in our ability to provide customers superior Telco-quality features and performance in a highly-secure open-systems environment," said Amir Barnea, CEO of BladeFusion. "We've created a security platform that gives Enterprise and Telco clients something they've never had before, an open system solution that combines central management and powerful blade components from leading hardware vendors like IBM and Nortel Networks to create significant cost performance advantages and low total cost of ownership for customers of all sizes."

The BladeCenter/BladeFusion platform is IBM Server Proven and delivers a complete Multi-functional Secure Connectivity solution comprised of the following components:

1. BladeFusion's Secure Operating/Environment (SOE), which enables the secure operation and central management of multiple security applications within BladeCenter while enforcing necessary network segregation and workflow management. It also provides central management and automation of high-performance load-balanced clusters, real-time blade automation, N+1 high-availability, hot-swap maintenance and autonomic self-healing for all the applications and all the H/W components that run on the system.

2. IBM eServer BladeCenter, which includes the BladeCenter chassis, HS20 server blades, embedded Gigabit Ethernet switches and Gigabit Load Balancers such as the Nortel layer 2-7 ESM blade and supporting options.

3. Load balancing and Security filtering at wirespeed throughput. Nortel Networks L2-L7 GbE Switch Module's line rate load balancing and security filters provide acceleration and an extra layer of security by keeping out unwanted traffic and malicious attacks.

4. Best of Breed Security Application Software: BladeFusion in cooperation with best of breed security vendors, pre-packages BladeCenter optimized and hardened images including market-leading Check Point's VPN-1(R) Pro and VPN-1 VSX software, Aladdin eSafe and others. The platform is open to any Linux compatible software.

5. Multi Appliance Solutions (a.k.a. BladeFusion "Models), the BladeFusion management blade, is pre-packaged with multi-appliance solutions that include load-balanced clusters, and combinations of several security applications that can span a full BladeCenter chassis full of blades, applications and switches.

"Momentum around IBM eServer BladeCenter continues to build," said Juhi Jotwani, Director of BladeCenter Alliances, IBM Systems and Technology Group. "We are working with BladeFusion and best-of-breed security partners to provide customers with an open systems carrier-class network security platform solution to protect their businesses. Enterprises and service providers can now choose to buy security applications on a much more scalable platform, compared to traditional best of breed security applications on rack server and dedicated appliances. Application segment targets for the BladeFusion solution include Firewall/VPN, Anti Virus, Content and Spam filtering, Intrusion Prevention and IT security management.

"We are pleased to partner with BladeFusion and IBM to integrate VPN-1 Pro, VPN-1 VSX, and Zone Labs Integrity Server on this powerful Multi-Bladed Security Switch solution," said Upesh Patel, Director of business development for Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. . "This is an ideal offering for customers looking for an open-systems based blade platform for deploying firewall, VPN and endpoint security policy management in complex environments such as data centers, and large, segmented networks. This offering enables industry- leading scalability, management, and performance for the data center and enterprise."

"IBM offers the industry's only truly secure blade server offering. Encrypted application sessions can be brought directly into the BladeCenter chassis and can be re-directed by the intelligent GbESM (Nortel Networks Layer 2-7 Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module) to a server blade that will perform the decryption/encryption of the sessions within the safe confines of the BladeCenter. In addition, through the GbESM, the IBM BladeCenter is unique in the industry in its ability to offer up to 1,024 policy filters; provide support for data to be mirrored to an Intrusion Detection System; block against deadly viruses; and offer safeguards against devastating Syn Attacks or Denial-of-Service attacks." Atul Bhatnagar, VP & General Manager, Enterprise Data Networks, Nortel Networks

Customers and channels already benefiting from the new BladeFusion solution include Exostar, the leading provider of integrated supply-chain solutions to the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry, Maccabi Healthcare a 1.7 million patient HMO, and InTechnology a pan-European distributor of security appliances and software.

"After successfully deploying Bladefusion for our own security gateway, Exostar is now recommending the IBM/BF platform as the platform of choice for its Secure ForumPass Gateway to its Aerospace Industry customers worldwide, said Jeff Nigriny, Chief Security Officer at Exostar. "We believe the best way to maintain our SLA commitments in a distributed system is with IBM/Bladefusion's high availability self healing platform. It provides the most cost effective way for us to deploy and support the mission critical gateways essential to the security of our business service

"As a large HMO, the BladeCenter/BladeFusion multi-bladed security appliance was the most cost/effective solution for our mission critical gateway to our Physician members and Pharmacy partners. No other solution could deliver no single point of failure and hot/swap maintenance while consolidating several Firewall/VPN clusters, several IDS sensors and mail scanning under one uniformly managed platform at such an attractive price/performance point." Said Ofer Weisberg, CTO of IT, Maccabi Healthcare

InTechnology plc is a EUR0.5billion pan European company, which distributes security appliances and software in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. "The market demand for Multi-Bladed Security Gateway Appliances is growing and is poised to challenge single function appliances. The BladeCenter/BladeFusion platform extends InTechnology's (formerly Allasso) extensive product portfolio and provides a unique advantage in this rapidly evolving market. Customers can enjoy significant cost reduction, better performance, a smaller form factor and the comfort of the IBM brand with back to back warranty and 24x7x4 support." said Colin MacAdam Commercial Operations Director of InTechnology's Security Division. Intechnology is an AIM listed public company.

About BladeFusion Technologies

Founded in 2001, BladeFusion develops and markets innovative Multi-Bladed Security Gateways. BladeFusion's IP-X technology eliminates the necessity for expensive proprietary hardware and uniquely enables the 'fusion' of mission critical best of breed security applications on top of industry leading blade servers. BladeFusion IP-X delivers better overall quality and performance while reducing the total cost of ownership of enterprise security gateway solutions as compared with alternative security solutions manually assembled from multiple individual appliances, servers and switches. The company's headquarters are located in Tel-Aviv, Israel with offices in the US and Europe. BladeFusion is backed by Tamir Fishman Ventures - one of the largest venture capital groups in Israel.

For additional information about BladeFusion visit our website http://www.bladefusion.com/

Media Contact Europe: Media Contact U.S.:

Christian Guitton, VP Sales EMEA Yair Granek, VP Bus. Dev.

Cell: +33-680000439 Tel: +1-(703)-573-6961

Email: christian.guitton@bladefusion.com Cell: +1 (703) 402 5081

Email: yair@bladefusion.com

Bladefusion Technologies Ltd.

CONTACT: Media Contact Europe: Christian Guitton, VP Sales EMEA, Cell:+33-680000439, christian.guitton@bladefusion.com or MediaContact U.S.: Yair Granek, VP Bus. Dev., Tel:+1-(703)-573-6961, Cell: +1-(703)-402-5081, Email:yair@bladefusion.com

Source: PRNewswire

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