WatchGuard-Citrix combine guns for SME segment

WatchGuard Technologies, a Seattle-based provider of network security solutions, and Citrix Systems, an enterprise solutions provider will join hands to offer a line of security appliances.

Together, the companies are expected to coordinate marketing and sales activities and plan to develop products for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India.

As a part of this, WatchGuard announced the availability of the Firebox SSL Core VPN Gateway. The SSL-VPN venture puts WatchGuard in direct competition with vendors "" dealing in the Unified Threat Management (UTM) segment "" such as Aventail, F5 and Whale Communications and networking vendors like Cisco, Juniper and Nortel.

Secure socket layer (SSL) is a security protocol that provides communication privacy and helps ease functioning of virtual private networks, a private network that makes use of the public telecommunication infrastructure, by maintains privacy through SSL and tunnelling protocol.

This product by WatchGuard will empower remote users with the same functionality previously available only to large enterprises with huge IT staffs to support and implement. With this product, the remote user can get 'secure' connectivity through two access modes "" secure access client and Kiosk Access Client to extend the network reach.

In the secure access mode the remote user can access any application or network resource. Kiosk mode access is restricted to web-applications. Ajit Pillai, country manager, WatchGuard, India and SAARC said that the pairing of proven Citrix SSL VPN remote access with WatchGuard's Firebox appliance has created a solution for cost-conscious SMB customers.