WALTHAM, Mass. – October 14, 2003 – Colubris Networks, a global provider of intelligent Wi-Fi wireless networking devices for operators of large public and enterprise networks, today announced that its products have been certified as interoperable with the iPass Inc. (NASDAQ: IPAS) Global Virtual Network. A member of the iPass Alliance(TM) Technology Partner Program, Colubris Networks develops highly secure, intelligent Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access devices that are deployed by more than 400 organizations and public hotspot providers.
“With further expansion of the global workplace, it’s vital to empower today’s mobile workforce with anytime, anywhere access to drive increased corporate productivity,” said Mary Tate, director of technology alliances at iPass. “Colubris Networks’ intelligent access devices are now able to be integrated within the iPass Global Virtual Network because they help businesses provide highly interoperable wireless services, while pursuing their own Wi-Fi business strategies.”
“We welcome this membership into the iPass Alliance Technology Partner Program”, said Jim Ciociolo, vice president of business development and carrier sales at Colubris Networks. “It’s a testament to our commitment to provide VPN-caliber intelligent access solutions that integrate seamlessly within existing networks and security frameworks. We look forward to working with iPass to provide a robust, cost-effective solution for our mutual partners and customers.”
Colubris Networks’ intelligent access devices have been verified as compatible with leading VPN systems, personal firewalls, and other policy management and enforcement tools. Today’s announcement is particularly beneficial to the companies’ mutual partners, including Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) Adael Wireless (www.adael.net) and Wireless Link (www.wirelesslanlink.com) which deploy secure Wi-Fi hotspots in hotels, airports, restaurants and conference facilities. For example, Wireless Link, which signed a Wi-Fi provider agreement with iPass to extend its service to iPass customers, uses Colubris Networks equipment to deliver seamless network access to travelers.
In order to receive this certification, the Colubris Networks intelligent Wi-Fi access devices had to be coded to iPass’ Generic Interface Specification (GIS) which supports major VPN technologies and protocols, and supports RFC compliant RADIUS accounting attributes which enable proper inter-party settlement.
iPass developed the GIS to allow roaming between hotspots operated by disparate network providers utilizing a diverse number of HTTP-based access gateway technologies. iPass has made the GIS available to the industry – free of charge – creating a de facto roaming standard for smart client to access gateway authentication over HTTP/SSL. The GIS is available from iPass at www.ipass.com/gis.
Colubris Networks offers a range of Wi-Fi intelligent access devices that enable businesses to quickly and cost-effectively deploy and manage secure Wi-Fi networks. The company’s “hotspot in a box” solution combines the functionality of a WLAN access point and controller in a single, highly scalable and easy to manage device for delivering wireless access and services in hotels, airports, convention centers and other locations frequented by business travelers. Colubris Networks’ access devices seamlessly integrate into carrier infrastructures and ensure that users are authenticated, traffic usage is accounted for, and revenue opportunities are increased for the service provider. The company also offers a line of highly secure enterprise access equipment that gives businesses and government agencies the confidence to deploy wireless networks into their most data-sensitive locations.
About Colubris Networks’ Intelligent Access Devices
Colubris Networks’ intelligent access devices scale from hundreds to thousands of users, are Wi-Fi certified, and commercially available through third-party resellers and OEM partners. For more information, visit www.colubris.com/en/products/public_access.
About Colubris Networks
Colubris Networks is a global leader in providing highly secure, manageable and cost-effective Wireless LAN solutions for enterprise networks and carrier deployments. Its award-winning Wi-Fi certified product family of purpose-built enterprise and public access offerings seamlessly integrates into existing customer networks, providing maximum cost-effectiveness and management simplicity. Colubris Networks embeds strong tools such as Virtual Private Networking, enhanced security and firewall technologies into its open, industry-standard solutions. Colubris Networks’ products are deployed by more than 400 organizations worldwide, including Telecom Italia, NTT-ME, McGill University, Bangkok International Airport, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, and three of the world’s largest hotel chains. The company’s strategic business and technology partners include ADC, Alcatel, Juniper Networks, RSA Security, Funk Software, Micromuse, and a worldwide network of value-added-resellers and systems integrators. For more information visit the company at www.colubris.com or contact us at info@colubris.com.
