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Virtela Introduces Industry's First SSL Network Solution Integrated With Global MPLS Network

Posted on: Monday, 30 January 2006, 09:00 CST

DENVER, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtela, a global network solutions company, today announced the industry's first virtualized network-based SSL Virtual Private Network (VPN) service tightly coupled with a global MPLS network. The virtualized design enables small- and medium-sized businesses worldwide to more easily and inexpensively exploit the benefits of SSL-based remote access to their enterprise network resources. At the same time, multinationals can leverage the service in tandem with Virtela's site-to-site MPLS VPN service, bringing SSL access "into the cloud" to create one seamless service for both site-to-site and remote access users.

Similar to Virtela's existing Managed SSL VPN Services, the new Virtela SMB SSL VPN service provides highly secure remote access to the corporate network from any Internet web browser without the need for a pre-installed client. Virtela provides expert design, implementation, 24x7 monitoring and management of the SSL VPN infrastructure.

Virtela was the first managed service provider to offer a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) remote access solution based on industry-leading equipment more than three years ago. The company wraps unparalleled expertise, tools, and processes around this new service that aids the largely overlooked SMB customer. Virtela's virtualized SSL VPN is ideal for smaller customers that are especially sensitive to the expense of SSL equipment, as well as the added costs of training and maintaining staff required to successfully self-manage the service. With the new offering, Virtela hosts the SSL gateway securely within the Virtela network, relieving customers of SSL equipment purchases and ongoing management while delivering optimized performance benefits.

"Virtela's virtual SSL service enables our employees in China and Europe, for example, to easily access corporate network resources in the U.S. without the need to maintain our own remote access systems and infrastructure," said Paul Nutter, network engineer of Williams Controls, the leading maker of electronic throttle controls for commercial vehicles. "We avoid sizeable costs associated with the equipment and can rely on Virtela's expert management of a network-based platform that delivers excellent performance at an attractive price."

Large enterprises can exploit those same benefits, and for those also using Virtela's MPLS VPN services, can also enjoy the enhanced performance of Virtela's multi-carrier network architecture. Virtela's Global Service Fabric routes customer traffic over the best-performing path across multiple Tier-1 carrier networks, with automatic failover to ensure the highest network availability. SSL users can traverse the same architecture, and benefit from the same class of service designations applied to the MPLS corporate network. For example, SSL users could prioritize a higher class of service for their bandwidth-intensive applications, such as VoIP or CRM sessions.

According to Gartner, SSL VPNs have superseded IPsec as the easiest choice for casual and ad hoc employee VPN access requests, and also for business partners, external maintenance providers and retired associates. Gartner forecasts that by 2008, SSL VPNs will be the primary remote access method for more than two-thirds of business teleworking employees, more than three- quarters of contractors and more than 90% of casual employee access (1).

"Virtela is proud to extend our heritage in SSL VPNs with an offering specifically tailored to the needs of the SMB customer," said Virtela CEO Larry Morgan. "We've significantly lowered the barrier to entry for these customers, who can now leverage Virtela's unique knowledge and network of best-of-breed SSL equipment that eliminates the need for capital expenditures."

Virtela offers a complete suite of Managed SSL solutions, including network- and Customer Premise Equipment (CPE)-based services, as well as high availability options. Whether using network or dedicated equipment, Virtela's virtualized approach places the SSL gateway within the Virtela network, and remote users can access applications residing in multiple corporate data centers via their existing site-to-site VPN connections while leveraging a single SSL device in the Virtela network.

Enhanced security is delivered through an included network-based managed firewall, and optional two-factor authentication. Customers also have visibility into their SSL network performance and policies and can add users using the VirtelaView customer portal.

For a limited time, Virtela is offering a Free 30-Day Trial of its Managed SSL VPN Services to qualified corporations. For more information, please visit http://www.virtela.net/ and click on the Free Trial button.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 31, 2006, Virtela will be hosting a webcast entitled "Managed SSL VPN Services: Thinking Outside of the Box" at 2:00pm ET. The webcast will uncover how to get the most from an SSL VPN solution and provide real-world custom examples of how remote users easily and securely gain access to their corporate networks from any location, at anytime using a simple web browser. To register, please visit http://www.virtela.net/.

About Virtela

Virtela Communications Inc. delivers award-winning network and security solutions to many of the world's largest and fastest-growing multinational companies. Currently serving customers across six continents, Virtela's network reach spans more than 190 countries. Virtela's unique Global Service Fabric offers the foundation for delivering all critical business applications via the company's acclaimed service methodology, with a services suite that includes IP-based Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), security services, Voice over IP, Video over IP, and network consulting services.

Virtela is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with a second Network Operations Center in Mumbai, India. Virtela is a member of Juniper Networks' Managed Network Solutions Preferred Alliance Program. For more information, please call +1 (720) 475-4000 or visit http://www.virtela.net/.

(1) Magic Quadrant for SSL VPN, North America, 3Q05, by John Girard.

Publication date: December 8, 2005.

First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact:

Virtela Communications Inc.

CONTACT: Media, Jane Morrissey of Virtela, +1-720-475-4012, or mobile,+1-303-808-7671, jmorrissey@virtela.net

Web site: http://www.virtela.net/

Source: PRNewswire

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