EVENTS: THE INDUSTRY GOES VIRTUAL

The IBM-hosted VPN cross-industry workshop draws widespread interest from key industry vendors

IBM recently hosted a cross-industry Virtual Private Network (VPN) interoperability workshop in Binghamton, New York, drawing more than 50 vendors and making it one of the most popular VPN events to date. The workshop was a key step in widely recognizing the benefits of VPN solutions and promoting VPN technology throughout the industry.

VPNs Provide Secure Private Connections Across Public Networks

A VPN is an extension of an enterprise's private intranet across a public network such as the Internet. VPNs securely convey information across the Internet, connecting remote users, branch offices, and business partners/ suppliers into an extended corporate network. By replacing leased lines to remote sites with VPNs, companies can significantly reduce their WAN and remote dial-up costs. In this way, VPNs give companies a secure and cost-effective way to extend the reach of their applications and data around the world.

The key to maximizing the value of a VPN is the ability to evolve it as business needs change and to easily upgrade to future TCP/IP technology. Today, the technology to implement VPNs is just becoming standardized, and VPN solutions based on Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards will go a long way toward supporting the full range of VPN scenarios, with more interoperability and expansion capabilities.

Industry Standards Are the Key

In addition to providing a hands-on experience with VPNs, much of the VPN workshop focused on standardization issues. With the support of the California ISDN User's Group, the VPN workshop tested the interoperability levels of IPSecurity, Internet Key Exchange (IKE), and Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP). MCI WorldCom™ Advanced Networks provided the setup and support of the workshop network, including the Internet connectivity.

Armando Fratezi, IBM VPN Workshop Coordinator, states, "Our every expectation was exceeded with the participation in this workshop. This week, more than 50 companies—representing more than 60 products and spanning eight countries and three continents—shared in the success of the VPN Interoperability workshop."

Representatives from several standards groups also attended the workshop and were unanimous in their praise of the event. According to Jeff Schiller, IETF Security Co-Area Director, "The IPSEC working group has worked long and hard to make this standard provide real security on the Internet. The IETF is very pleased with this progress. The vendors are to be congratulated."

Bob Moskowitz, International Computer Security Association Senior Technical Director, focusing on the IPSecurity interoperability initiatives, adds, "This workshop illustrates the focus on interoperable network security by the increased number of vendors and the enthusiasm shown in the room. We made a great deal of VPN technological advancements during the week, which will significantly benefit the Automotive Network Exchange and other business VPNs."

For More Information

Visit:
http://www.ibm.com/software/network/technology/vpn/