Software controls access to enterprise wireless networks.
Press Release Summary:
SmartPass(TM) software allows user to restrict access by time of day, day of week, and range of dates as well as implement controls over bandwidth usage, quality of service, network resource access, and security levels. Access privileges and restrictions can be applied on user-by-user basis or profiles can be created and applied to different types of guest users. It provides centralized reporting and logging of guest access, handling up to 10,000 guests.
Original Press Release:
Trapeze SmartPass(TM) Software Solves Widespread Security Risk of Uncontrolled Wi-Fi® Guest Access
SmartPass Provides Safest, Most Scalable Guest Access to Manage the Proliferation of Apple iPhone and Other Wi-Fi Enabled Hand-held Devices
PLEASANTON, Calif., Sept. 5 / / - Trapeze Networks(R), the award-winning provider of Smart Mobile(TM) wireless solutions, today announced it is shipping SmartPass(TM) software, a new solution providing unprecedented control over guest access to wireless networks. Guest access is one of the most prevalent uses of wireless among enterprises but most deploy wireless guest access with little or no control over who is using it - or when, where, and how it is being used. SmartPass is the first and only enterprise-class application that solves the widespread security risk of uncontrolled and unrestricted guest access to the enterprise's wireless network.
The proliferation of Wi-Fi-enabled mobile Internet devices such as the Apple iPhone - which continuously seek out and connect to any available Wi-Fi network - is quickly increasing the problem of uncontrolled wireless guest access. According to Stan Schatt, vice president of Network Research at ABI Research, "Mobile Internet devices will experience explosive growth over the next five years." Schatt forecasts more than three million mobile Internet devices will ship in 2008, swelling to 90 million units shipped by 2012. "Not all of these devices will necessarily support IEEE 802.11i security standards," Schatt points out, and "they won't necessarily all support endpoint secure clients. That means it will be critical that these devices have limited access to corporate networking resources." Schatt's forecast is part of a new ABI Research report entitled "Mobile Internet Device and Ultra Mobile PCs: A comprehensive Market Analysis and Forecast."
"Guest access provides an on-ramp to the corporate network that most organizations have failed to lock down and control, putting critical networked resources at risk. SmartPass creates a whole new standard for safe, secure, easy-to-use guest access over wireless," said Jim Vogt, president and chief executive officer, Trapeze Networks. "With this new solution, enterprises for the first time can efficiently and effectively mitigate the risk of network misuse by unauthorized users, resulting in the safest, most scalable approach to deploying and managing guest access."
Current guest access solutions are cumbersome to use, offer limited functionality, and are not scalable. As a result, most enterprises have defaulted to the easiest but least safe solution: they create a virtual public network on their wireless infrastructure that is openly accessible without any restrictions. This uncontrolled access to the public network exposes the enterprise to undue risk. For example, unknown, unauthorized individuals could use it as the host network for unlawful purposes - such as launching denial-of-service attacks, distributing spam, or committing email fraud - while consuming significant network bandwidth, resulting in reduced employee productivity.
SmartPass Delivers Total Control Over Guest Access
Unlike solutions from vendors such as Cisco Systems or Aruba Networks, which provide only limited control over guest access, SmartPass provides comprehensive controls over every guest user's access. Customers can restrict access by time of day, day of week, range of dates, and so on, as well as implement controls over bandwidth usage, quality of service, network resource access, security levels, and many other parameters. Access privileges and restrictions can be applied on a user-by-user basis, or profiles can be created and applied to different types of guest users.
Centralized Control and Management of Guest Accounts
Different from other solutions, which write each guest account to every WLAN controller's local database, SmartPass uses a centralized guest account database. While other solutions actually change controller configurations - by adding, modifying, or deleting guest credentials on individual WLAN controllers throughout the network - SmartPass never stores guest data to any WLAN controller. This centralized approach is not only cleaner and more efficient but also prevents potentially harmful configuration changes from being made to critical network hardware by front-desk staff with no domain expertise. It also ensures continuous, seamless guest access even in case of controller fail-over, or if a controller is taken out of service for any reason.
SmartPass also provides centralized reporting and logging of guest access, and the database can be backed up using standard procedures, enabling enterprises to audit guest activity across the network over any time period. In addition, SmartPass includes self-maintenance features, such as automatic de-provisioning and removal of guest credentials when they have expired. This is in contrast to other solutions that store guest data on every controller, requiring IT personnel to manually maintain and purge the data from each controller's local database.
Most Scalable Guest Access Solution - Up to 10,000 Concurrent Guests
While other guest access solutions typically support only a few hundred guest accounts - restricted by the space available on a controller to store guest data - each SmartPass server handles up to 10,000 guest users. In addition, whereas other solutions only allow guest accounts to be created one at a time, SmartPass provides unique bulk creation functionality specially designed for large-scale uses such as conventions and for large enterprises, universities, and hospital campuses. The bulk creation feature enables customers to generate a large number of guest accounts quickly from an existing data source, such as an attendee list. SmartPass also provides an easy-to-use web API, making it easy to integrate with existing systems to determine guest privileges.
Easiest to Use-Perfect for Non-technical Personnel
In contrast to unwieldy solutions from other vendors, SmartPass software provides a highly intuitive, easy-to-use interface that completely shields front-desk personnel from the underlying complexities of network access control. Non-technical staff - such as receptionists and event registration personnel - can easily and quickly provision guest access accounts without any networking knowledge, while network operations personnel can set restrictions on the types of guest access that staff can grant.
Rapid Deployment and Fast ROI
The SmartPass application can be quickly and easily installed, configured, and up and running in just a few hours. As a result, SmartPass enables enterprise customers to deploy secure, controlled, and highly scalable guest access with virtually zero impact on scarce IT resources. With the efficiency and productivity gains that SmartPass delivers through its highly intuitive interface and features such as self-maintenance and bulk user creation, the application provides very rapid payback of the small investment.
30-Day Free Trial Offer
SmartPass software is available and shipping today. Pricing starts at $595. For a limited time, Trapeze is offering a no-risk, 30-day free trial. For more information, call toll-free 1-877-359-8779 or visit www.trapezenetworks.com/.
About Trapeze Networks
Trapeze Networks delivers Smart Mobile(TM) - a ground-breaking approach to wireless networking, enabling organizations to deploy massively scalable mobile applications that leverage their existing infrastructure. Smart Mobile achieves this breakthrough by introducing intelligent switching, the first and only WLAN architecture that optimizes network traffic based on the underlying application. With Smart Mobile intelligent switching, organizations can support the most demanding next generation wireless applications such as toll-quality voice over WLAN for thousands of users, seamless indoor/outdoor mobility, and high-speed networks based on 802.11n - all without requiring expensive forklift upgrades. Trapeze Networks is well-capitalized, with strategic investments from networking industry leaders including Juniper Networks, Motorola, and Nortel Networks. Founded in March 2002, Trapeze is headquartered in Pleasanton, California, with operations in Europe, Japan, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, please visit www.trapezenetworks.com/.
Source: Trapeze Networks
Web site: http://www.trapezenetworks.com/
