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.