SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 7, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Foundry Networks(r), Inc. (Nasdaq:FDRY), a performance and total solutions leader for end-to-end switching and routing, today announced it is one of Microsoft's select networking vendors to demonstrate standards-based authentication solutions for the delivery of secure policy-based Microsoft Network Access Protection (NAP) at the Microsoft NAP Partner Booth No. 2325 during the RSA(r) Conference 2007 in the San Francisco Moscone Center, February 5-9. This demonstration will clearly illustrate that Foundry's switches perform flawlessly in conjunction with Microsoft Windows-based clients, including Windows Vista, and the Microsoft Network Policy Servers to perform Network Access Protection, a combination of hardware and software technology that dynamically controls client system access to networks based on their policy compliance.
In addition to the demonstration, Foundry Networks' switches are now fully compliant and interoperable with the Windows Vista client and the next version of Windows Server, code-named "Longhorn." Foundry and Microsoft will continue to work closely together in order to ensure the solutions solve foreseeable ongoing challenges faced by businesses and individual users.
Network Access Protection is a policy enforcement technology built into the Windows Vista and Windows Server "Longhorn" operating systems that allows customers to protect network assets from unhealthy computers by enforcing compliance with network health policies. Microsoft Network Access Protection technology is publicly available with trial versions of Windows Vista, and available to select partners and customers with Beta 2 of the Windows Server "Longhorn."
Foundry's award-winning switches will be configured with 802.1x port-based access control to provide user login support with NPS and enable policy-based client health checks. These health checks determine whether the client is permitted access to production resources, or establish if it should be quarantined for remediation purposes. Based on the health of the system, NPS is fully configured to interface with Foundry switches and dynamically change Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN) for each user. This allows security managers to ensure that clients are IT policy compliant prior to granting access to critical network resources.
"We are pleased to have Foundry Networks as one of our networking partners, demonstrating its support for Network Access Protection at RSA Conference 2007," said Calvin Choe, senior program manager for the Enterprise Networking Group at Microsoft Corp. "Microsoft's demonstration with Foundry will show that using network-based 802.1x port protection with Windows Network Policy Servers provides a proven standards-based authentication solutions tool for validating client health and securing network access."
"We are pleased to demonstrate our support for the Microsoft Network Access Protection solution and Windows Vista client in their partner pavilion at the RSA Conference 2007," said Val Oliva, director of product management for Foundry Networks. "Security is a top concern for enterprise network administrators and there is a significant demand for a proven solution, using Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows Servers, which secures the network and provides the capability for client health validation before a security breach occurs."
For a demonstration on Foundry's and Microsoft's interoperable solutions, visit the Microsoft NAP Partner Booth No. 2325.
Additional information regarding Foundry switches and security solutions can also be found at booth No. 917.
About Foundry Networks
Foundry Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:FDRY) is a leading provider of high-performance enterprise and service provider switching, routing, security, and Web traffic management solutions including Layer 2/3 LAN switches, Layer 3 Backbone switches, Layer 4-7 application switches, wireless LAN and access points, access routers and Metro routers. Foundry's 10,400 customers include the world's premier ISPs, Metro service providers, and enterprises including e-commerce sites, universities, entertainment, health and wellness, government, financial, and manufacturing companies. For more information about the company and its products, call 1.888.TURBOLAN or visit www.foundrynetworks.com.
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