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Solsoft Announces Policy Server Version 7; New Release Makes Security Policies Easier to Manage Within Large Enterprise, Service Provider, and Government Networks

Posted on: Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 09:00 CST

Solsoft (www.solsoft.com), a leading provider of network security policy management solutions, today announced the release of Solsoft Policy Server 7.0. Built on a new and robust J2EE-based architecture, version 7 introduces an improved graphical user interface, server backup and recovery features, report templates, security rule calculation optimizations, and other enhancements designed to meet the demands of large and complex network environments.

"Policy management is of great value for large-scale or heterogeneous networks, where a holistic view helps ensure that security rules are applied consistently and that changes are documented and executed in accordance with well-defined processes," said Scott Crawford, senior analyst with Enterprise Management Associates. "Solsoft's policy management solutions demonstrate leadership in the trend toward an enterprise-wide architectural approach to security."

With Solsoft Policy Server, IT administrators assure the integrity of critical applications and services by applying consistent, enforceable, and auditable network security configurations on equipment from Cisco, Juniper, Check Point, Nortel, Symantec, Internet Security Systems, and other leading vendors. Over 200 customers worldwide, including more than 20 Fortune 500 companies, use Solsoft's line of multi-vendor management products for compliance with regulations and standards, collaborative security policy design and maintenance, role-based security configuration change control, policy audits, and response to network attacks.

Benefits to customers using version 7 include:

More scalable Solsoft Security Designer user interface

-- Improved user interface scalability: A redesigned user interface introduces folders to more easily depict hierarchical network topologies. Coupled with other capabilities such as an interactive zoom feature, Solsoft Security Designer can better display very large network topologies on its one-of-a-kind interactive policy design map. Users apply powerful drag-and-drop operations to the map in order to automatically create, modify, and deploy security policies.

-- Better task management: An improved layout of functions within Solsoft Security Designer enables a much clearer way to define network security policies on a large network map. This approach leads to better usability by separating areas of product functions into different network views: Topology, Policy, VPN, and NAT.

-- More robust import functions: The product can import policies from more and larger device configurations, cutting time for large network migrations to the Solsoft technology. It features an enhanced user interface allowing multi-criteria filtering of rules. When used on a complete device configuration set, it automatically updates the device's version number and creates the device interfaces with their IP configuration and security level. It also retrieves the Network Address Translation (NAT) rules for some devices.

Enhanced availability, authentication, reporting, and performance of Solsoft Policy Server

-- Greater reliability: Solsoft Policy Server 7.0 Enterprise Edition offers the possibility to set up a high availability configuration that permits recovery of the policy management service if the physical system goes down due a server or networking failure.

-- More flexible authentication: As an alternative to its internal authentication method, Solsoft Policy Server 7.0 Enterprise Edition can be configured to authenticate users via an external RADIUS (two-factor RSA SecurID compatible) server. Solsoft Policy Server administrators can choose the authentication method on a user-by-user basis in order to meet their enterprise's authentication policy.

-- User-tailored reporting: Version 7 also expands on Solsoft's unique network security policy reporting functionality, first introduced in version 6. This latest release now includes pre-defined templates that generate reports tailored for individual members of the IT team, such as a security engineer, project manager, network operations manager, or CSO. Report templates can be customized to suit organizational requirements.

-- Optimized security policy calculation: The patented security policy design engine in Solsoft Policy Server 7.0 uses enhanced algorithms to improve the computation and compactness of generated configurations. In specific scenarios, this can mean an 80% improvement in policy computation performance.

"Solsoft continues to push the envelope when it comes to making network security easier to manage," said Solsoft CEO, Gilles Samoun. "This latest release of our leading-edge platform underscores Solsoft's commitment to provide scalable security policy management solutions for large enterprise, service provider, and government networks."

Availability and Pricing

Solsoft Policy Server 7.0 is scheduled to ship in Q2, 2005. Pricing starts at $32,000 for the Standard Edition and $62,500 for the Enterprise Edition.

About Solsoft

Founded in 1997, Solsoft is the leading provider of network security policy management solutions, with production deployments in more than 20 Fortune 500 companies and over 200 customer sites worldwide. Solsoft solutions enable organizations to centrally control the design, deployment, and documentation of security policies across multi-vendor enterprise networks. The company's flagship product, Solsoft Policy Server, offers centralized management of firewalls, routers, switches, VPN, intrusion prevention, intrusion detection, and other security equipment from market leaders such as Cisco, Juniper, Check Point, Nortel, Symantec, Internet Security Systems, and Linux-based vendors. Solsoft's policy-based system hardens networks against attacks and human error by making sure security rules are consistent end-to-end - something that in large, heterogeneous networks is practically impossible to do by hand or with vendor-specific management tools. Customers use Solsoft Policy Server for compliance with regulations and standards, collaborative security policy design and maintenance, role-based security configuration change control, policy audits, and response to network attacks. For more information about Solsoft, please visit www.solsoft.com, send e-mail to info@solsoft.com, or call 877-646-8225.

Source: Business Wire

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