Microsoft plans to acquire virtual private network vendor Whale Communications, a move that will add new capabilities to Microsoft's Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server product.
Whale, based in Rosh Haayin, Israel, sells a security appliance that can be used to give employees access to applications while they are outside of the corporate firewall. The 8-year-old company has offices in the U.S., the U.K., and France.
Earlier this year, the two companies began offering on a product that combined Microsoft's ISA Server 2004 with Whale's Intelligent Application Gateway.
That collaboration ultimately led to the acquisition, said Ted Kummert, corporate vice president of the Security, Access and Solutions Division at Microsoft. "We got a lot of positive feedback from customers on that offering," he said.
Whale's products have a number of capabilities not presently offered in the ISA Server, including the ability to make VPN (virtual private network) connections based on the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol, as well as software that allows the product to be integrated with business applications.
"Our intent is to bring these together as one secure access offering," Kummert said, referring to the ISA Server and Whale's technology.
Though Kummert would not say when this combined product was expected, it seems most likely to appear in a follow-up to the ISA Server 2006, expected by September. This combined product will be sold as software, and not as an appliance, he added.
The transaction is still subject to regulatory approval, Kummert said. He would not say how much Microsoft will pay for the company, or when the acquisition is expected to be completed.
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
Download now »
Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
Download now »
The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation
Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.
Download now »
Sign up to receive Security Resource Alerts
This white paper provides guidance on how to develop a strategic approach to managing and monitoring logs, a key function required for compliance with many regulatory mandates and a critical defense against security threats.
Download now! »
Learn about the processes and technologies that support security information management (SIM) operations, as well as the business case for SIM. The series examines different options for implementing SIM and gives you evaluation criteria for selecting the best option for your organization.
Download now! »
Learn the strategies, actions, and capabilities that Best-in-Class organizations employ and technologies they choose to obtain superior performance against various security performance metrics. This report provides guidelines for identifying which security solutions to consume as a MSS and defines best practices for choosing and managing MSSPs.
Download now! »
Recommend This
