California-based Aruba Networks (News - Alert) announced that its Remote Access Point (RAP) technology, a green teleworker solution, has been awarded the Wireless Security Product of the Year Award by Techworld.

 

RAP technology provides a truly instant-on, no set-up remote connectivity solution for organizations that have teleworkers, traveling executives, branch offices and first responder or disaster recovery requirements. The solution securely brings enterprise experience to remote users.

 

Aruba Networks provides networks to users on the go and unified mobility solutions that include Wi-Fi networks, identity-based security, remote access and cellular services, and centralized multi-vendor network management, in order to enable the Follow-Me Enterprise (News - Alert).

 

Aruba’s RAP technology establishes an encrypted tunnel to the data center and utilizes a built-in stateful firewall and split-tunneling router to securely deliver the enterprise network to its mobile users. Its network is said to be very economical as well.

 

The company’s Mobile Remote Access Point (News - Alert) (RAP) software securely delivers the enterprise network to mobile users using a combination of Wi-Fi and wireless broadband connectivity.

 

When the user is loaded into a standard Aruba AP-70 Access Point, the RAP technology delivers its Follow-Me connectivity to mobile users, wherever they are. The wide area connectivity is provided by a broadband wireless USB modem, including EVDO and HSDPA, or Ethernet, or both for high-availability applications. The client interface is via the access point's wired ports and wireless LAN.

 

Aruba’s Mobile RAP technology fills the gap between inflexible 3G PCMCIA cards with software VPN clients, and expensive, difficult-to-manage branch office VPN routers with EVDO uplinks.

 

"Our Remote Access Point technology is the ultimate expression of a mobility enabler because it brings the enterprise experience to users wherever they work or roam," said Keerti Melkote (News - Alert), Aruba's founder and head of products and partnerships.

 

Melkote added, "Users can select Ethernet and/or 3G cellular WAN connections, and RAP will automatically select the fastest available connection -- if one fails it will switch to the surviving connection. Secure Wi-Fi and Ethernet ports offer tremendous flexibility for a wide range of uses, from a traveling executive to an entire branch office. We believe this technology is a major advancement beyond VPNs, and we're gratified that the category judges agree."

 

"The objective of the Techworld Awards is to recognize companies that make a significant contribution to business productivity using technology," said Maxwell Cooter, Techworld's editor.

 

"The problem of securing remote connections is one faced by many IT managers and Aruba offers users a particularly innovative approach to the problem. The judges were impressed with the way in which Aruba tackled the issue and thought that its product stood out among the entrants,” explained Cooter.