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Celestix Announces Multifunction Security Appliance Product Line
SecurityProNews
Staff Writer
2004-09-07
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MSA Product Line Delivers Combination of Perimeter Security, Branch Office Connectivity and Web Caching in Easy to Use Appliances.
Celestix Networks Inc., developer of enterprise class security appliances, today announced the availability of its Multifunction Security Appliance (MSA) product line. MSA appliances come in several models; the MSA2000 is targeted to small businesses, the MSA4000 is recommended for medium sized organizations, and the MSA5000 is meant for large enterprises. Unlike a traditional "whitebox" deployment with Microsoft ISA Server 2004, the Celestix appliances are highly integrated and more reliable because they are function focused devices.
MSA appliances with Microsoft ISA 2004 provide the multi-layer inspection and stateful firewall functionality required to secure enterprise perimeters from the ever increasing arsenal of network attacks. In addition, site to site VPN and caching functionality are built-in that can also be used to secure/control the flow of network traffic. Celestix MSA appliances utilize an integrated web-based user interface for initial deployment and common maintenance tasks, such as viewing log files, backing up configurations, or software updates.
"Purchased separately, the cost of components (hardware, operating system, ISA 2004, time to procure/integrate) is greater than the cost of an individual appliance," said Yong Thye Lin, president of Celestix Networks. "In addition, we offer significant value add with our web-based UI, quick deployment, technical support, and highly optimized form factors."
Each appliance is outfitted with a system locked pre-installation, which results in no requirement for an installation CD or licensing key. Initial configuration (setting IP addresses, etc.) is simplified with the use of the jog dial and LCD panel -- a requirement in any datacenter. In disaster recovery scenarios, the jog dial can also be used as a one button rollback mechanism to reset the unit to a factory default state. The appliances are configured with between 4 and 8 front-facing network ports to enable multi-netting and ease cable connectivity.
MSA appliances are commonly deployed on an enterprise perimeter, and provide optimal protection when securing Microsoft networking environments (such as Exchange) via application layer filtering. When used to proxy SSL requests to internal applications, such as Outlook Web Access (OWA), MSA appliances excel due to their usage of hardware-based cryptographic acceleration. In addition, whether potentially connecting branch offices through VPNs or caching inbound/outbound LAN traffic, MSA devices provide the flexibility required for constantly evolving network requirements.
Pricing for the new Celestix MSA security appliances range between US$3,495 to US$9,995 list and are currently available through either Celestix or one of their authorized value added resellers. The MSA2000 and MSA4000 are currently available for purchase; the MSA5000 will be generally available in October 2004. Customers can also select from a wide range of support options.
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