Wireless, Security To Take Spotlight At N+I Event

In the realm of network security, Forum Systems, Salt Lake City, plans to unveil the Forum XWall 3.0, an upgrade of its Web services firewall. Forum XWall 3.0 incorporates WS-1 Basic Profile 1.0 conformance into the network instead of the application, centralizing enforcement and ensuring interoperability of multiple Web services operations.

Other major security announcements will focus on managed services.

Internet Security Systems, Atlanta, expects to unveil a Managed Protection Service designed to help small and midsize businesses handle antivirus, firewall and intrusion-detection functions for about $300 per month.

Fortinet, Sunnyvale, Calif., also hopes to get in on the game, expanding its security solution portfolio with FortiGuard, a new Web-filtering service that relies on an extensive list of preapproved URLs and eliminates the need for local database servers.

"To have different organizations try to analyze these Web sites vs. one doing it for the benefit of all just seemed silly to us," said Rick Kagan, director of marketing at Fortinet. "Security has gotten too complicated for many organizations to manage themselves, and we're hoping to help them out."

Smaller companies said they also plan to release products designed to make security more accessible. SecureWave, Herndon, Va., hopes to make a splash with Sanctuary, a new suite of end-point security products that allow network administrators to easily set security policies, monitor network activity and even control network lockdown.

Visionael, Palo Alto, Calif., also is ready to jump into the security space, launching the Enterprise Security Protector (ESP), which enables enterprises to assess vulnerabilities, as well as patch and verify the integrity of their networks. John Haley, the company's vice president of worldwide marketing, said that although Visionael considers itself a network resource management company, moving into the network security space seemed a sensible strategy for the future.

"I think there is a lot of synergy between networking and security," Haley said. "Just like the network touches the whole organization, so does security, and people want to know how they can protect their own companies."

Security, however, isn't everything. On the wireless side of the networking world, a cornucopia of vendors are primed to unveil products designed to expand the traditional boundaries of the wireless network.

Orem, Utah-based Senforce Technology plans to unveil new storage device control functionality for its Mobile Security Manager 2.5. Meanwhile, Symbol Technologies, Holtsville, N.Y., expects to unveil a new mobility software suite that includes a rack-mountable mobility services platform and reduces the amount of time it takes to deploy complex mobile infrastructure solutions across a network.

Airespace, San Jose, Calif., also plans to make some noise, announcing a new Intelligent Radio Frequency (RF) Access Point that uses smart antenna technology to create a switched wireless environment aimed at better range, throughput, reliability and security.

Other major product announcements at the show are expected from switch vendors Cisco Systems, San Jose, Calif.; Enterasys Networks, Andover, Mass.; Adtran, Huntsville, Ala.; and 3Com, Marlborough, Mass.

Polycom, Pleasanton, Calif., plans to launch its new V500 videoconferencing end point, while storage vendor DiskSites, Tenafly, N.J., is set to unveil a line of network appliances aimed at reducing costs within large and midsize businesses by using the appliances to facilitate server consolidation in remote branches.

EmergeCore Networks, Boise, Idaho, one of last year's N I Best Of Interop finalists, hopes to attract attention with its latest IT in a Box offering, the IT-500. Designed for small and midsize businesses, the IT-500 enables customers to deploy a complete network infrastructure, and acts as a Web and e-mail server with firewall, VPN and other capabilities built in.

Solution providers who will be attending the show look forward to surveying the scene and exploring new ways to turn some profit.

"[We are] attending N I in our continuing effort to find technologies that will add to our portfolio," said Steve Davis, president of Hughes-Calihan, based in Phoenix. "[The show] allows us to look at a variety of solutions in a short amount of time."

JENNIFER HAGENDORF FOLLETT, MARIE LINGBLOM and DAN NEEL contributed to this story.