Check Point Manages Traffic Securely

January 23rd, 2007: Check Point Software has thrown some more fuel into the virtual version of its VPN-1 Power integrated firewall and intrusion prevention gateway, announcing an upgrade that gives managed service providers the ability to create 250 virtual security systems on a single platform.

Dryly named the VPN-1 Power VSX NGX, Check Point says that the solution enables telecom service providers as well as enterprises with virtualised networks to take advantage of advanced clustering to distribute virtual systems among cluster members. It says this enables “linear growth in performance, real-time monitoring of traffic load distribution and reduced synchronisation traffic.”

Check point also claims that the VPN-1 increases efficiency through new network quality of service controls that support the Differentiated Services protocol, allowing the assignment of individual transmission characteristics to specific classes of traffic with minimal impact on performance to ensure high-quality end-user experience with advanced applications. This helps service providers deliver priority service in areas such as communications.

Sharper Technology’s Ron Steffen says this ability is particularly evident when used to managed data streams for VoIP applications. “VoIP requires low bandwidth, but is highly sensitive to latency and drops, so this application can be given preference over high-volume, low-priority traffic that has a low sensitivity to latency and drops,” said Steffen.

“Enterprises want to continue to grow their network without incurring large equipment and real estate costs,” says Scott Ferguson, Check Point Regional Vice President, Asia. “Leveraging virtualisation to address this problem, the new VPN-1 Power VSX will reduce ongoing capital investment, limit the physical space needed for security hardware, and improve the manageability of network security, policy development and enforcement.”

Check Point says that the VPN-1 Power VSX NGX is available now with a starting price of USD$24,000 for 10 virtual system licenses.

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