Dulles, VA. February 25, 2003 – Encore Networks, a leading developer of integrated network security and access products, today announced the addition of Virtual Private Network (VPN) solutions for satellite enterprise data networks to its BANDIT™ product line. The enhanced capabilities include existing support for IPsec VPN, dynamic firewall, IP routing, numerous legacy data protocols, and Encore Network's exclusive patent pending breakthrough Selective Layer Encryption (SLE™). These features enable satellite users running applications over IP to realize the benefits of broadband communications without experiencing the inherent performance degradation typically associated with satellite circuits.

Satellite modems have been widely adopted throughout global markets as an efficient means of providing the full spectrum of broadband communications services via satellite-based RF transponders. Satellite providers have deployed more than 800,000 enterprise circuit drops worldwide, and providing end-to-end VPN services has been limited and challenging. Satellite propagation delay reduces throughput of TCP, affecting IPsec and other VPN protocols. Now, with Encore's Selective Layer Encryption feature, significant improvements have been implemented to optimize the performance of key applications over satellite networks, such as email, file transfer, and Internet surfing.

According to William Flanagan, Principal of Flanagan Consulting, "Satellite companies have responded to the large number of users running IP over satellite with various methods to overcome the choking effect that network delay has on TCP. These methods improve throughput to open the full capacity of the satellite channel. Encore's Selective Layer Encryption is significant to this market because its flexible configurability lets users apply encryption without interfering with any of the methods that boost throughput."

"Satellite network operators have captured a significant market share in terms of providing broadband access alternatives to small and medium size enterprise customers," said Abir Hnidi, Encore Networks CTO and Vice President. "With the innovative Selective Layer Encryption feature on the BANDIT™ VPN product family, Encore Networks provides Satellite Network Operators (SNOs) with a technical solution that allows them to generate incremental revenues by offering value-added, high performance IP VPN services to their customers without suffering the typical reduction in throughput."