Array Networks Releases LAN-to-LAN SSL VPN at RSA

Array Networks has launched a beta version of a product the vendor is touting as the first true site-to-site SSL VPN.

Announced at the RSA security conference in San Francisco this week, Array's Site2Site SSL VPN solution includes a feature called Resource Publishing, which businesses can use to establish an encrypted, two-way connection on demand over any IP network via SSL tunnels. Resource Publishing lets businesses "publish" particular network resources at one location--such as applications, network segments, or printers and other peripherals--to other peer sites for limited access by select users.

SSL VPNs, which are widely used for remote access, can now be a viable alternative to IPsec VPNs, says Jeff Wilson, principal analyst of network security for Infonetics. Array claims that though SSL VPN technology is already replacing IPsec VPNs in companies around the globe as a secure mechanism for remote access, until now, IPsec VPNs were the only choice for site-to-site VPNs.

Array boasts that in blending secure tunneling with extremely granular network access control, the Site2Site SSL VPN can help companies create agile, efficient and secure hidden networks. The vendor says these networks are both easier and less costly to manage than IPsec VPNs.

An Array spokesman says the solution is attracting a great deal of interest from companies looking to replace existing site-to-site IPsec VPNs or to build new LAN-to-LAN VPNs. A number of companies will begin beta tests of Site2Site this month. The vendor has been demonstrating the software at the RSA security conference.