Bell Canada and Aventail Partner to Deliver Secure Enterprise-Grade Managed Remote Access Service
Secure Virtual Private Network technology helps Canadian enterprises extend simple remote access to a broader range of locations, devices, and network resources
Seattle, WA and Toronto, ON–August 11, 2003 – Bell Canada and Aventail today announced a partnership to deliver secure enterprise-grade remote access services to Bell Managed Solutions customers throughout Canada. The Bell services, powered by Aventail, offer simple and cost-effective Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) access to critical business data from any Internet-enabled device over a ‘clientless’ Virtual Private Network (VPN). The Aventail® EX-1500(tm) SSL VPN appliance augments Bell’s suite of managed security services and allows enterprise customers to seamlessly authenticate, authorize, and encrypt secure access to applications or network resources from virtually any location. Bell is the first communications company in Canada to offer a managed SSL VPN remote access service to address the network protection concerns of enterprise customers.
“Making available more network protection technologies builds on our commitment to offer Canadian enterprises more remote access options to help them improve productivity and seamlessly communicate with employees, customers and business partners,” said Charles Salameh, vice-president, Enterprise Client Solutions, Bell Canada. “The SSL VPN technology from Aventail provides enterprise customers with the kind of flexibility and enhanced security to experience anywhere, any device access, without the need to configure, manage, and support VPN client software.”
With Aventail’s SSL VPN technology, employees, customers and business partners can use a common Web browser to securely access an organization’s network resources -from home or while traveling – using a broadband or a wireless Internet connection. Because Aventail’s solution is ‘clientless’, no client software needs to be installed on a user’s workstation; that effectively reduces the administration costs to configure, manage and support VPN users. With this solution, organizations can designate and control user access, and eliminate direct network connections, all while supporting a broad set of access requirements and user authentication methods.
“With distribution channels such as AT&T, Infonet, IBM Global Services, ANXeBusiness and now Bell Canada, Aventail has aligned itself with some of the leading managed service providers in the industry,” said Zeus Kerravala, vice president of Enterprise Infrastructure for The Yankee Group. “Aventail has become the clear #1 SSL VPN vendor, creating distance for vendors vying for the #2 spot.”
“In partnering with Aventail, Bell Canada’s ability to address the increasing demands of its customers for anywhere secure remote access to critical applications is improved,” said Michael Suby, senior research analyst at Stratecast Partners, a division of Frost & Sullivan. “Aventail has delivered on this promise with an SSL VPN appliance that keeps end user support costs in check as the number of end users and applications multiply.”
“Bell is Canada’s premier integrated communications company and clearly understands the importance of security in delivering anywhere remote access,” said Evan Kaplan, president and CEO of Aventail. “We’re excited to make our SSL VPN appliance available to Bell Canada’s VPN enterprise customers to help them enjoy the benefits of secure anywhere, any device remote access.”
About Bell Canada
Bell Canada, Canada’s national leader in communications, provides connectivity to residential and business customers through wired and wireless voice and data communications, local and long distance phone services, high speed and wireless Internet access, IP-broadband services, e-business solutions and satellite television services. Bell Canada is wholly owned by BCE Inc. For more information please visit www.bell.ca.
About Aventail
Aventail, the recognized clientless SSL VPN leader, is changing the way organizations define secure remote access. The company’s clientless VPN appliances and services provide employees and business partners with transparent, anywhere access to any application from any Internet-enabled device.
Aventail has received numerous awards and accolades from the industry’s top publications and analyst firms. These include recognition as a leader in both the 2003 Gartner SSL VPN and Managed Remote Access Magic Quadrants; recognition as one of Computerworld’s 100 Emerging Companies; winner of InfoWorld’s Hot Product, Network Magazine’s Product of the Year award, Giga Information Group’s Emerging Technology Scene – Best Overall Network Product, and the Crossroads A-List Award.
With half a million users and 500 global organizations that have purchased Aventail’s SSL VPN solutions, Aventail is the most widely deployed and proven SSL VPN on the planet. Aventail’s customers include industry leaders such as Aetna, Cerner Corporation, DuPont, Ernst & Young Global LLP, FMC, IBM Global Services, and Mount Sinai NYU.
For more information on Aventail, visit www.aventail.com.
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Aventail, Aventail.Net, Aventail ASAP, Aventail EX-1500, Aventail Connect, and Aventail OnDemand, and their respective logos are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of Aventail Corporation. Other product and company names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective owners.