Asia PR News

DENVER, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ –

Expansion of Managed SSL VPN Portfolio Enables Small/Medium Businesses (SMBs)
to Enjoy Large Enterprise Benefits; Launch Includes Free 30-Day Trial and
Webcast

Key Enterprise Benefits:
* "In the cloud" approach delivers quick SSL turn-up with no capital
expense
* Integration with MPLS network delivers enhanced performance and
quality of service
* Includes 24×7 expert support and enhanced security functionality
* Only portfolio with enterprise and SMB-optimized solutions for
complete design flexibility

Virtela, a global network solutions company, today announced the industry’s
first virtualized network-based SSL Virtual Private Network (VPN) service
tightly coupled with a global MPLS network. The virtualized design enables
small- and medium-sized businesses worldwide to more easily and inexpensively
exploit the benefits of SSL-based remote access to their enterprise network
resources. At the same time, multinationals can leverage the service in tandem
with Virtela’s site-to-site MPLS VPN service, bringing SSL access "into the
cloud" to create one seamless service for both site-to-site and remote access
users.

Similar to Virtela’s existing Managed SSL VPN Services, the new Virtela
SMB SSL VPN service provides highly secure remote access to the corporate
network from any Internet web browser without the need for a pre-installed
client. Virtela provides expert design, implementation, 24×7 monitoring and
management of the SSL VPN infrastructure.

Virtela was the first managed service provider to offer a Secure Sockets
Layer (SSL) remote access solution based on industry-leading equipment more
than three years ago. The company wraps unparalleled expertise, tools, and
processes around this new service that aids the largely overlooked SMB
customer. Virtela’s virtualized SSL VPN is ideal for smaller customers that
are especially sensitive to the expense of SSL equipment, as well as the added
costs of training and maintaining staff required to successfully self-manage
the service. With the new offering, Virtela hosts the SSL gateway securely
within the Virtela network, relieving customers of SSL equipment purchases and
ongoing management while delivering optimized performance benefits.

"Virtela’s virtual SSL service enables our employees in China and Europe,
for example, to easily access corporate network resources in the U.S. without
the need to maintain our own remote access systems and infrastructure," said
Paul Nutter, network engineer of Williams Controls, the leading maker of
electronic throttle controls for commercial vehicles. "We avoid sizeable
costs associated with the equipment and can rely on Virtela’s expert
management of a network-based platform that delivers excellent performance at
an attractive price."

Large enterprises can exploit those same benefits, and for those also
using Virtela’s MPLS VPN services, can also enjoy the enhanced performance of
Virtela’s multi-carrier network architecture. Virtela’s Global Service Fabric
routes customer traffic over the best-performing path across multiple Tier-1
carrier networks, with automatic failover to ensure the highest network
availability. SSL users can traverse the same architecture, and benefit from
the same class of service designations applied to the MPLS corporate network.
For example, SSL users could prioritize a higher class of service for their
bandwidth-intensive applications, such as VoIP or CRM sessions.

According to Gartner, SSL VPNs have superseded IPsec as the easiest choice
for casual and ad hoc employee VPN access requests, and also for business
partners, external maintenance providers and retired associates. Gartner
forecasts that by 2008, SSL VPNs will be the primary remote access method for
more than two-thirds of business teleworking employees, more than three-
quarters of contractors and more than 90% of casual employee access (1).

"Virtela is proud to extend our heritage in SSL VPNs with an offering
specifically tailored to the needs of the SMB customer," said Virtela CEO
Larry Morgan. "We’ve significantly lowered the barrier to entry for these
customers, who can now leverage Virtela’s unique knowledge and network of
best-of-breed SSL equipment that eliminates the need for capital
expenditures."

Virtela offers a complete suite of Managed SSL solutions, including
network- and Customer Premise Equipment (CPE)-based services, as well as high
availability options. Whether using network or dedicated equipment, Virtela’s
virtualized approach places the SSL gateway within the Virtela network, and
remote users can access applications residing in multiple corporate data
centers via their existing site-to-site VPN connections while leveraging a
single SSL device in the Virtela network.

Enhanced security is delivered through an included network-based managed
firewall, and optional two-factor authentication. Customers also have
visibility into their SSL network performance and policies and can add users
using the VirtelaView customer portal.

For a limited time, Virtela is offering a Free 30-Day Trial of its Managed
SSL VPN Services to qualified corporations. For more information, please
visit www.virtela.net and click on the Free Trial button.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 31, 2006, Virtela will be hosting a webcast
entitled "Managed SSL VPN Services: Thinking Outside of the Box" at 2:00pm ET.
The webcast will uncover how to get the most from an SSL VPN solution and
provide real-world custom examples of how remote users easily and securely
gain access to their corporate networks from any location, at anytime using a
simple web browser. To register, please visit www.virtela.net.

About Virtela
Virtela Communications Inc. delivers award-winning network and security
solutions to many of the world’s largest and fastest-growing multinational
companies. Currently serving customers across six continents, Virtela’s
network reach spans more than 190 countries. Virtela’s unique Global Service
Fabric offers the foundation for delivering all critical business applications
via the company’s acclaimed service methodology, with a services suite that
includes IP-based Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), security services, Voice
over IP, Video over IP, and network consulting services.

Virtela is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with a second Network
Operations Center in Mumbai, India. Virtela is a member of Juniper Networks’
(Nasdaq: JNPR) Managed Network Solutions Preferred Alliance Program. For more
information, please call +1 (720) 475-4000 or visit www.virtela.net.

(1) Magic Quadrant for SSL VPN, North America, 3Q05, by John Girard.
Publication date: December 8, 2005.

SOURCE Virtela Communications Inc.

/CONTACT:

Media,
Jane Morrissey of Virtela,
+1-720-475-4012,
or mobile, +1-303-808-7671,
jmorrissey@virtela.net/

/Web site: http://www.virtela.net/
(JNPR)