AEP extends to client-server applications

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AEP Systems is meeting a promise to extend its Secure Sockets Layer remote access capabilities beyond Web-based software to full client-server applications.

This month, the company will release software for its A-Gate remote access equipment that enables remote PCs to use fat client access to applications via SSL Internet connections.

This new capability requires remote users to download a software client called A-Gate Central from the A-Gate itself. Customers can set restrictions so the general public is unable to download the client and gain access to protected application servers. Once downloaded, the client will automatically download updates and policy changes that have been entered on the A-Gate itself.

Only real-time audio and video applications are unsupported by A-Gate Central, AEP says. The company had promised this functionality in March, but rolled it back until this month when it discovered the task was more complicated than it originally thought.

This capability is new to AEP, but is a long-standing, common feature among its competitors. But then AEP did come late to the SSL game, starting just last year – years behind some of its competitors.

AEP is aiming toward small and midsize businesses with its relatively low price equipment.

AEP is also introducing a new appliance called A-Gate 600, which supports about 400 concurrent users, assuming 80% of them will be accessing Web-based applications and 20% accessing fat-client applications. If all remote users are accessing fat-client applications, the maximum number drops to 150 because fat-client access eats up more processing power. A-Gate 600 is larger than other models that support up to 100 concurrent users and costs $8,995.

The box has is own SSL acceleration card built in to relieve the CPU, and has enough horsepower to someday support 2,048-bit encryption keys, which are more secure than the 1,024-bit keys in current use.