Dulles,
VA. April 22, 2003 – Encore Networks,
a leading developer of integrated network
security products, today announced the
introduction of the newest member of
its BANDIT™ VPN product line, the BANDIT-Plus™.
Designed for next generation multi-service
broadband networks, the BANDIT-Plus™
broadens Encore's addressable market
to include service providers and enterprises
that wish to deploy more cost-effective
solutions for voice, VPN, security, and
data over a single broadband packet-based
connection. Hardware acceleration of
encryption ensures high performance and
minimizes latency — an important feature
for secure Voice over Internet Protocol
(VoIP) transport.
The 19" rack-mountable BANDIT-Plus™
comes with two Ethernet ports, typically
set up as "LAN" and "WAN." Other
standard interfaces are a built-in V.90
modem and a universal serial interface.
By configuration, the modem may be used
as the primary WAN link, dial backup,
or for a dial-in maintenance port. Serial
interfaces offer dozens of legacy protocols,
including ALC, X.25, and SNA over V.35,
X.21, or RS-232 physical interfaces.
An expansion slot supports a variety
of modules with physical interfaces such
as 56/64 kbps DSU, T1/E1 CSU, Ethernet,
or a second serial interface. Also, a
two-port T1/E1 CSU expansion module with "drop
and insert" capability allows any
part of a T1/E1 access line to connect
to a PBX. The total package integrates
TDM voice, data, and VPN applications
on a single network facility.
The combination of a high density 12-port
serial module, the ability to terminate
hundreds of remote locations over secure
IPsec tunnels and the support of a wide
range of legacy protocols, makes the
BANDIT-Plus™ an ideal VPN host gateway
solution, which allows legacy applications
to smoothly migrate from leased circuits
(analog or digital) to packet-based (frame
relay), IP, and broadband VPN infrastructure.
With the BANDIT-Plus™, Encore Networks
now offers end-to-end IP VPN+Legacy solutions
that can satisfy the requirements of
the SME enterprise market.
"The BANDIT™ products seem unique
in their flexibility to operate so many
protocols, over different transmission
services, with encryption," said
William A. Flanagan, president of Flanagan
Consulting. "The IT industry used
to believe data was secure when transmitted
on leased lines, but these days, growing
concerns and the move to packet networks
such as IP can raise doubts. BANDIT™
devices give legacy applications and
protocols the protection demanded today
— over IP, frame relay, or even dial
up connections."
Plug-and-play features, remote configuration
and management capabilities, and comprehensive
troubleshooting and diagnostic tools
in the BANDIT-Plus™ let carriers provision
TDM voice, Internet access, and VPN applications
with minimal truck rolls.
"The addition of the BANDIT-Plus™
to our VPN family of products is an important
part of our overall VPN market strategy," stated
Abir Hnidi, Encore's Chief Technology
Officer. "This will provide the
carriers with cost effective means to
offer managed voice, data, and VPN services,
and at the same time, give their enterprise
customers a graceful migration strategy
for their embedded legacy systems and
enable them to consolidate multiple applications
over broadband IP networks."
Sharing a single broadband connection
for voice and data reduces Capital and
Operational costs for carriers. Enterprise
customers will lower their overall cost
by consolidating access transport and
combining voice, VPN, and data billing.
The BANDIT-Plus™ incorporates all the
IP routing, firewall, packet filtering,
network address translation (NAT), Private
Address Translation (PrAT), DHCP, and
other features announced for earlier
BANDIT™ models. Available in May of 2003,
the BANDIT-Plus™ list price starts at
$2,495. For more BANDIT-Plus™ information,
contact your nearest Encore Networks
sales representative at sales@encorenetworks.com. |
