Vyatta on Tuesday unveiled the latest version of its open source networking OS, Vyatta Version 6.0.
The basic open source platform has seen an upgrade, according to the company, and so have the advanced, commercially available packages. Among new features are Vyatta Remote Access API, a platform through which users can manage Vyatta systems using different in-house and third-party network provisioning systems.
The 6.0 release also includes the first of what the company says will be several Vyatta Plus advanced services offerings.
"Vyatta is now three distinct packages: Vyatta Core, Vyatta Subscription Addition and Vyatta Plus Services," explained Tom McCafferty, Vyatta's director of marketing. "It's become apparent that you can't do everything open source, so it just makes sense to partner with industry leaders to help us expand what we deliver to our customers and offer a combination of open source and proprietary technology."
The basic Vyatta Core package, available as a download from Vyatta, includes netflow/sFlow logging and analysis, 802.11 wireless LAN compatibility, binary image installation, IPv6 readiness, firewall enhancements and quality of service (Qos) enhancements.
Vyatta Subcription Edition, for which licensing packages start at $747, add to the core package such advanced features as simplified VPN client management and the Vyatta Remote Access API. The API is compatible with most well-known network management platforms, McCafferty said, such as IBM Tivoli and HP OpenView.
"We basically give the ability to expose every Vyatta network to those external management structures," he said. "There's no interaction necessary, because of the way the API works, it can connect to anything."
Last is the first Vyatta Plus service, VyattaGuard Web Filtering, which starts at $250 a year and lets users assign controls and Internet security policy to their network.
Vyatta's channel has been continuing to expand, adding between 20 and 25 partners a month for much of the past year, McCafferty noted. There's significant opportunity for VARs to upsell current clients by building on their virtual appliances, he said.
"We've put a lot of effort and significant functionality into the core, so I think this is going to be another big win for us," McCaffety said of 6.0. "Development cycles are getting faster, and we're on our sixth major release in three and a half years. The product is getting more robust, and we think we've been able to make a strong feature distinction from one aspect to another."
