BlueRoam extends VPN service to handheld devices

VPN service provider blueRoam is upgrading its service so it supports handheld devices.

Now customers buying into blueRoam’s no-hardware VPN can access work resources via BlackBerries, Treos and Windows Mobile devices.

Users access the resources via the Web browsers in the devices and receive the files they seek formatted for small screens.

The new capability is part of a new version of the company’s software that also includes support for accessing the service from Web browsers on any machine including laptops and desktops. This makes the service reachable from borrowed machines or public machines to which users are not able to download a blueRoam Java client.

The service is designed for small and midsize businesses that don’t have the expertise or money to set up VPNs of their own. Instead, they pay a flat monthly fee to blueRoam and install a blueRoam agent on any one computer or server on a business network.

The agent creates a connection to servers in blueRoam’s network that is used to send and receive data via SSL between the business site and the blueRoam operations center. To use the service, remote users log in to the operations center and are presented with lists of machines that are available to them. They click on the resource they want and gain access.

The blueRoam network sets up two SSL sessions to create the link, one between the remote user and the operations center and one between the center and the customer site. The service can also link customer sites.

BlueRoam charges $49 per site per month, including a license for two concurrent users. The fee jumps to $99 per month for five concurrent users.

The company says that after 50 concurrent users, it makes sense for customers to consider buying their own VPN gear, but for businesses that fall below that should consider this if they are looking to support secure remote access for a modest monthly fee without having to make a capital investment.