SSL VPN PIONEER AVENTAIL TO DELIVER ENTERPRISE-READY APPLIANCE

AventailâEX-1500's Advanced Functionality and Clientless Access Dramatically Reduce the Cost of Remote Access and Extranet VPNs

October 7, 2002 - Aventail Corporation today announced the Aventailâ EX-1500, the industry's first and only SSL VPN appliance to provide remote users with secure, anywhere access to any enterprise application. Designed to meet corporate access needs, the Aventail EX-1500 supports any Web as well as any enterprise client/server application from vendors such as SAP, Peoplesoft, Siebel, Oracle, Citrix, Microsoft and Lotus.

SSL, the protocol that secures the world of e-commerce, is now emerging as a leading contender in the remote access and extranet VPN space. In fact, John Girard, vice president and research director at Gartner predicts that, "By year-end 2004, 60 percent of corporate users will regularly use a thin-client VPN, instead of a full, fat-client VPN for access to business data. Compared to IPSec VPNs, thin client VPNs built on SSL are easier to deploy and support, better for non-managed equipment such as kiosks or home PCs and are easily portable across emerging mobile and wireless platforms."

Based on the most widely deployed SSL VPN technology on the market, the Aventail EX-1500 provides a single point of administration for secure access to both client/server and Web applications. It does not require the expensive deployment and management of IPSec clients, delivers exceptionally high levels of security and seamlessly integrates with an enterprise's existing infrastructure.

The Aventail EX-1500: The Industry's Most Mature and Feature-Rich SSL VPN
Aventail's technology has been extensively used worldwide by over 400,000 users and 400 large enterprises, including industry leaders such as DuPont, Deloitte Consulting, Ernst & Young, FMC and IBM Global Services. As the only true enterprise-ready SSL VPN appliance, the Aventail EX-1500 provides the following capabilities:

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o   Secure access to a broad set of Web and client/server applications through a single device, eliminating the costs of integrating products from multiple vendors.
o   A single, centralised policy management interface, simplifying the complex task of managing Web and client/server access.
o   No installation, distribution, and management of expensive IPSec clients, significantly reducing user administration and support costs, as well as enabling users to access resources from any personal computer with a browser.
o   Secure access from a variety of locations, including from home over a dial-up, broadband or satellite network, a public Internet kiosk, behind a firewall on another company's network, a wireless LAN, or a Wi-Fi hotspot.
o   Advanced security features, including granular access control, kiosk session termination, dynamic application detection, and remote access network modes. In addition, Aventail's combined SSL and proxy model eliminates any direct connections to the network, delivering exceptionally high levels of security.
o   Seamless integration with an enterprise's directory and security infrastructure, allowing corporations to leverage their existing IT investments.
o   A widely deployed and reliable technology platform, ensuring the ability to efficiently support thousands of users.

"Today's remote employees are in a constant state of motion -- moving across different networks, using different devices, and accessing a multitude of Web and client/server applications. This 'anywhere access' environment is difficult to manage and secure, and it can be an incredible drain on IT resources," said Evan Kaplan, president and CEO of Aventail. "Our goal is to make anywhere access safe and cost-effective for the enterprise, seamless to the end user, and manageable for the IT administrator. The Aventail EX-1500 is a major component in delivering on this vision."

"Aventail is well positioned to be a leader in the SSL VPN space because the company brings a wealth of experience and a significant existing customer base," said Jeff Wilson, executive director at Infonetics. "More than ever users are looking for experienced and stable technology providers and with this new appliance strategy, Aventail is in a great position to capture many new customers."

Pricing and Availability
General availability of the EX-1500 will be in Q103. Pricing starts as low as $20K, depending on the total number of concurrent users.

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In addition to Aventail's stand-alone appliance, optional Aventail.Net managed services are available, which include deployment, VPN management and monitoring, user management, managed directory, roaming Internet access and helpdesk. Pricing varies, depending on services and volume.

About Aventail
Aventail is a leading secure, anywhere access provider. The company has years of real-world experience in delivering SSL VPN products and services that help large enterprises solve the complex problems associated with remote access and extranet VPNs. Since 1996, nearly 400 corporations, including industry leaders such as DuPont, Deloitte Consulting, Ernst & Young, FMC, Mount Sinai NYU Health and ANXeBusiness, have purchased Aventail's products and services to provide their customers, partners, and employees with secure, anywhere access to any application. Aventail is privately held and based in Seattle, Washington with European headquarters in the UK. For more information, visit www.aventail.com or call + 44 (0)870 2404499

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Aventail and Aventail.Net, and their respective logos are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of Aventail Corporation. Other product and company names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Media Contacts:
Deanna Leung   
Aventail Corporation
206-215-0049      
deanna@aventail.com   

Peter Rennison / Alison Andrews
PRPR
+44 (0) 1442 245 030
pr@prpr.co.uk

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