* Aventail works to streamline policy and access mgmt.
Aventail has upgraded its Secure Sockets Layer remote access platform to make it simpler to set up, and has dropped prices in an effort to make its equipment and services more attractive financially.
Aventail’s ASAP Version 6.3 adds a Web interface that the company says is more intuitive for first-time users. The platform retains its command-line interface for customers that want to script their own detailed policies.
Rather than filling out multiple command line fields, the new software asks three questions and configures the Aventail gear for use in the customer’s network.
The new version lets users create objects for network resources, user groups and policies. These objects can then be linked together to define the resources that groups or individuals can access and under what circumstances. The alternative would be to define, say, an access policy for a particular group, then rewrite the same policy to apply to a second group. Defining the policy as an object that can be reused streamlines setting up access.
Version 6.3 also supports alias access, which is a way to define a set of resources for which access is granted without revealing the network path to those resources. This allows assigning rights to business partners, for example, without revealing information that could compromise network security.
Aventail also has a new entry-level price for its EX-1500 box. Before, customers had to buy a 50-user version that cost $24,000. Now they can buy a 25-user version for $14,000.
In addition, Aventail has dropped its managed service prices. The minimum price used to be $5,000 per month for service based on SA-1000 gear and that is now $2,000 per month. The minimum for service based on SA-9000 was $9,000 per month and is now $3,000.
In a couple of weeks, Aventail promises a new version of its Java-based Aventail OnDemand client and its Aventail Connect client options.
