Activcard Launches VAR-Based “Smart VPN” Campaign
ActivCard’s “Smart VPNâ„?” solution, launched today, bundles a AAA Server with a USB device and digital identity software. The ActivCard Smart VPN offering is exclusive to the installed VPN customer base of ActivCard Certified Partners
Suresnes, France – September 16, 2002 – ActivCard® (NASDAQ/NASDAQ Europe: ACTI) a leader in identity management and strong authentication solutions, today announced that ActivCard’s network of certified Value Added Distributors (VADs), Value Added Resellers (VARs) and System Integrators (SIs) will benefit from a new promotion, the “Smart VPNâ„?”.
The Smart VPN promotion is designed to motivate Virtual Private Network owners to add strong authentication to their current VPN-based remote access systems in order to protect against unwanted intrusion from hackers. ActivCard combines its ActivPackâ„? AAA Server for LDAP environments, ActivCard Goldâ„? and ActivKeyâ„? USB key to provide a complete strong authentication solution for VPNs. The offering starts today and will finish on December 31, 2002.
Businesses are rapidly embracing remote access VPNs to extend the reach of their enterprise network perimeters. Flexible remote access VPN services streamline business operations, improve employee productivity, reduce the cost of networking administration, and eliminate the high cost of leased lines and modem banks. As a result, and according to industry analyst group Forrester Research, IP-based VPNs will actually be used by 70% of all companies for up to 90% of their data communications needs by 2003.
But many VPNs are susceptible to intrusion because users are only required to provide static passwords that are easily hacked, guessed or simply re-used by unauthorized people. As a result, VPN users have increasingly been looking for strong, two factor authentication services, along with a USB key or a smart card, to transform their VPNs into “Smart VPNs”.
ActivCard’s “Smart VPN” offering goes beyond the traditional “token approach” that legacy token vendors have been offering for the past few years. With the Smart VPN solution, ActivCard resellers will enable VPN administrators to evaluate ActivCard’s new ActivPack v5.1 AAA Server, specially designed for an LDAP environment, ActivCard Gold v2.2 client software and an ActivKey USB token.
“The objective of the ActivCard Smart VPN promotion is to reduce our channel partners’ sales cycle and to optimize the sales and installation of strong authentication solutions for corporations,” said Franck Burtin, ActivCard Channel Sales Director, EMEA. Last March, ActivCard conducted a similar campaign exclusively targeted at Check Pointâ„? VPN-1 and Firewall-1 customers. “Building on the success of the previous campaign, ActivCard is expanding its target base to include users of VPNs from Cisco®, NetScreen®, Nortel Networks®, and Check Point,” added Burtin.
“ActivCard “Smart VPN” solution will be offered to our installed customer base of VPN users,” said Alastair Broom, Enterprise Marketing Manager, Siemens Network Systems Ltd, Hemel Hempstead, UK. “We support ActivCard identity management (IDM) technology because it enables smart card and USB-based strong user authentication to become an integrated feature of all market leading VPN and firewall solutions and this is what our customers have been asking for”, added Broom.
“ActivCard’s combination of elements for a smart VPN is exactly what the market is currently looking for,” said Axel Diekmann, European Product Management, Integralis, Ismaning. “We welcome this campaign to provide our VPN customers with what they need for secure VPN access while at the same time ensuring that they achieve an enhanced return on their investment.”
To learn about the ActivCard Smart VPN offering, please login to http://www.activcard.com/smartvpn
About ActivCard
ActivCard is a leader in identity management (IDM) software and strong authentication solutions. We give businesses and governments the confidence that people are who they say they are online. ActivCard has the unique ability to implement a complete end-to-end, open standards-based digital identity system. We are trusted by the leading names in network computing including Hewlett-Packard Company®, Sun Microsystems, Inc.®, and VeriSign, Inc.®, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense.
The statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with fluctuations in operating results, our history of losses, the concentration of our customer base, our reliance on strategic relationships, acquisitions and managing the Company’s future growth, and other risks identified in the Company’s periodic filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to those appearing under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F. Actual results, events and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. ActivCard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.