* Nokia IPSO features Check Point's Secure XL Version 2.1
Nokia is boosting the features of Check Point’s software that allow for faster firewall and VPN processing with the latest version of Nokia’s IPSO operating system.
In concert with Check Point’s Secure XL Version 2.1 software Nokia’s IP family of VPN/firewall appliances process VPN traffic faster and create more firewall connections per second than before.
This means that current customers who upgrade their Nokia operating system (which can be done at https://www.nokia.com/securenetworksolutions) will wind up with a better performing box than they had before. How much better varies depending on how old the appliance is and what processors it contains.
Secure XL is a Check Point software interface that enables offloading functions such as encryption from the CPU to packet processing chips. Nokia took advantage of this earlier to boost firewall-filtering throughput on its appliances.
At the same time, Nokia is doing something vendors can’t do often enough: dropping prices. It is lowering the price of three of its IP hardware platforms as follows: the price of the IP 710 drops from $29,995 to $19,995; the IP 740 from $49,995 to $29,995; and the IP 1260 from $59,995 to $48,995.
All this cheaper, faster news is bolstered by Nokia introducing two IP appliances, the 1220 and 2250. IP 1220, with a 2.5G bit/sec firewall and 750M bit/sec VPN is based on Intel processors. It outperforms Nokia’s former $30,000 box, a feat Nokia says is due to the use of newer components that are both faster and less expensive. IP 1220 costs $32,995.
IP 2250 is a new high-end box with a 7.5G bit/sec firewall and VPN throughput of 2G bit/sec. Unlike all the other IP devices, IP 2250 has no disk for users who want to export log information to other devices. It also uses network processors to forward packets in a single session through the firewall rather than processing them all through the CPU. IP 2250 costs $79,995.
All these changes coming at once will force potential VPN customers to redo their math as they evaluate competing products.
