AEP Networks joins Microsoft Network Access Protection program

AEP Networks announced the company has joined the Microsoft Network Access Protection (NAP) Program. AEP will develop products to the emerging Microsoft Network Access Protection architecture, and the two companies will work together to deliver solutions that protect corporate assets, control the spread of viruses and ensure policy compliance.

AEP’s Policy Networking products link identity with policy to enable secure application and resource access, from the enterprise edge to the core. The AEP product suite provides a complementary layer of application and resource access – a consistent identity-driven network access policy throughout the network – to the Microsoft Network Access Protection client system health validation process.

Network Access Protection is a policy enforcement technology built into the Windows Vista and Windows Server, codenamed “Longhorn,” operating systems that allows customers to better protect network assets from unhealthy computers by enforcing compliance with network health policies. Microsoft’s Network Access Protection technology is publicly available with trial versions of Windows Vista, and available to select partners and customers with Beta 2 of the future version of Windows Server, codenamed “Longhorn.”

“Through collaboration with vendors such as AEP Networks, Microsoft Network Access Protection can deliver a more comprehensive solution that protects corporate assets by improving protection,” said Mike Schutz, Group Product Manager – Security and Access, Microsoft Corp. “AEP Network’s participation allows customers to defend against more types of attacks that threaten today’s IT operations.”