Nortel last week detailed a framework for delivering critical applications, releasing a series of network products designed to help enterprise users directly tie business processes and key applications to suppliers, partners and customers.

Nortel built the framework, called Advanced Business Connectivity, to enable secure and reliable delivery of business applications to specific end users.

To support Advanced Business Connectivity, Nortel announced several products, including Nortel's Alteon Application Switch 2424, which provides traffic management based on the attributes of an application. The Alteon Application Switch 2424 is scheduled to be available this month.

Another product announced with the framework is the Alteon Application Switch 2424-SSL, which adds Secure Sockets Layer processing and acceleration and SSL VPN integrated security applications to the features already included on the Alteon 2424 application switch. This switch supports simple provisioning of SSL VPNs to provide secure remote access to applications such as e-mail, file sharing, Telnet and Web-based applications. The Alteon 2424-SSL is slated for general availability in April.

Plus, the Nortel Passport 8600 Intelligent Routing Switch now features the Alteon 8661 SSL Acceleration Module, which frees up network computing resources by offloading SSL processing from servers to improve network performance. Layer 7 switching and URL switching capabilities for encrypted data help to ensure end users are directed to the correct content within a data center. This offering is set to be available later this month.

For more information on these and other new products from Nortel, visit the company Web site at http://www.nortelnetworks.com

Ann Bednarz is associate news editor at Network World.