Sun, Cisco and Pilot Announce Alliance to Provide Industry's First Secure WAN-to-VPN Service for Corporate Networks
Press Contacts:
Pilot Network Services, Inc.
Wynne Ahern, Upstart Communications
510-420-6697
wahern@upstart.com
Pilot Network Services, Inc.
Emma Rosen
510-433-7851
rosen@pilot.net
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Karen Rohack Dorren, QB Communications
408-719-1716
krdorren@earthlink.net
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Erin Butler, Burson-Marsteller
415-591-4051
erin_butler@yr.com
Sun, Cisco and Pilot Announce Alliance to Provide Industry's First Secure
WAN-to-VPN Service for Corporate Networks
Leading Suppliers of Internet Solutions Join Forces to Drive Built-in Security
between Internet Connections and Corporate WANs
ALAMEDA, Calif. -- March 24, 1999 -- Pilot Network Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:
PILT), the Security Utility(TM) pioneer, Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW) and Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced a joint marketing and development alliance that delivers a new solution enabling corporations to establish secure Virtual Private Network (VPN)/extranet connections via their Wide-Area Networks (WANs). Because many of today's corporations with Internet connections are reluctant to open up their corporate networks via the Internet due to security concerns, Cisco, Sun and Pilot have agreed to join forces to provide comprehensive security solutions to resolve these business-critical issues.
Under the alliance, Sun, Cisco and Pilot have combined their world-class
technology, services and experience to enable enterprises to connect their
corporate legacy WANs to customer and partner extranets through highly secure
Internet VPNs. One of the first products of this collaboration is Pilot
Corporate Partner Networking(TM) (Pilot CPN). Available today, Pilot CPN is a
secure VPN/extranet service that connects directly to a company's WAN and to
its mobile telecommuters, providing the built-in protection of Pilot's
revolutionary Security Utility(TM) service. By using the Pilot CPN service,
corporations in the United States and Europe are able to connect to one of
Pilot's seven ATM-linked Network Security Centers, with dynamic security
architectures plus 24x7 monitoring and maintenance.
"Security must extend across an entire network to be effective," said Larry
Lang, Cisco vice president of service provider marketing. "This relationship
between Pilot, Sun and Cisco offers enterprise customers a Wide-Area Networking service that implements corporate security policies end-to-end in support of e-commerce and other critical business initiatives. Also, because the Pilot CPN service is a qualified Cisco Powered Network(TM) service, corporations can have confidence in its security, reliability, and interoperability with their
existing networking equipment."
"This alliance is important because it allows corporations to build on current
network infrastructures while also enabling rapid implementation of secure
extranets," said Chris Hurst, vice president of worldwide telecommunications
and cable industries for Sun Microsystems. "Pilot CPN is a truly innovative
service in that it ushers in the next major trend that will benefit businesses
everywhere: subscribing to services that provide corporate IT functions. By
putting security management in the hands of Pilot, Sun and Cisco, IT
enterprises are free to focus their staffing, time and fiscal resources where
it really counts--their core business."
Pilot CPN will be deployed on a range of highly scalable, reliable Sun(tm)
servers, from the Sun Ultra(TM) 5 server to the Sun Enterprise(tm) 10000
server. The Sun server platform brings maximum scalability to the Pilot CPN
solution, allowing it to be customized for any size WAN ranging from small
workgroup to enterprise-wide data center. Pilot and Sun will work together to
incorporate Sun's secure, multiple-level Trusted Solaris Operating
Environment(TM) software into new service plans.
"Pilot's Security Utility provides the highest level of security available
executive officer and president. "This alliance is dedicated to delivering
innovative network services that optimize corporate WAN investments by building
security into the bandwidth."
Pilot's Heuristic Defense Infrastructure(TM) is the foundation of the Security
Utility Service. It is a unique combination of a multi-layered, distributed
architecture and the expertise of security engineers. At Pilot's nationwide
Security Centers, security experts monitor the sophisticated technology 24 x 7
and continually develop upgrades to detect and repel attacks aimed at Pilot
customers. These security enhancements are immediately "built in" to protect
all Pilot subscribers. With multiple technologies, diverse protection
techniques, and a process of evolutionary improvement, the Pilot Security
Utility Service is unparalleled in the security marketplace.
About Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for
the Internet. News and information are available at cisco.com.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The
Computer(TM)," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW) to its
position as a leading provider of high quality hardware, software and services
for establishing enterprise-wide Intranets and expanding the power of the
Internet. With more than $10.5 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in
more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at sun.com.
About Pilot Network Services, Inc.
Pilot (NASDAQ: PILT), the Security Utility Service pioneer, enables secure
e-commerce for companies of all sizes by providing a wide range of services
with built-in security to protect enterprise networks. As a Security Utility,
Pilot provides the highest possible level of protection by connecting
businesses to the Internet through its Security Centers nationwide. Pilot's
Heuristic Defense Infrastructure combines a revolutionary, distributed security
architecture with 24 x 7 monitoring by security engineers - to continually
evolve and proactively defend companies' e-commerce interactions against new
hacker techniques. Pilot's protected services include e-commerce and
e-business services; Internet access and gateways; and extranet/VPN with
encryption, authentication, access control, virus scanning, and web filtering.
Headquartered in Alameda, Calif., Pilot can be reached at 888-40-PILOT or
online at pilot.net and info@pilot.net.1 |
