iPass Buys Technology To Strengthen Remote Connections

The deal, expected to be finalized by the end of the month, was estimated to be worth $8.5 million, and will make the Safe3w technology available to iPass channel partners by the end of the year.

The Safe3w technology essentially blueprints the contents of the endpoint device and uses it as a strong authentication token while establishing a remote connection. When integrated into the iPass connectivity platform, technology from Woodbury, N.Y.-based Safe3w will help ensure that only trusted computers — those devices that are identified and known to a customer's IT department as safe — have access to corporate networks.

According to iPass CEO Ken Denman, the technology will help mitigate security risks exacerbated by remote connectivity.

"The increased productivity of always-on connectivity and enterprise mobility come with inherent security risks," he said Ken Denman, CEO of iPass. "The innovative technology from Safe3w fits naturally into [our] service strategy and should contribute substantial value to customers through integration with our leading solutions."

Denman explained that along with the recently announced iPass Policy Orchestration initiative, this acquisition of Safe3w will extend iPass solutions from secure global corporate access into the protection of endpoints across Internet connections. Because iPass systems touch every user connection request, he said, iPass services can control the connection state, placing iPass in position to protect workers' computers in accordance with their company's IT policies.

Solution providers added that integrating the Safe3w technology together with the iPass connectivity platform also will allow iPass to deepen computer and network protection by layering device identification and authentication onto the connection process.

Mike Backers, CEO of Altoria Solutions, Cincinnati, Ohio, said his company has developed a hosted authentication product based upon the Safe3w technology, and that working with iPass to sell solutions in the same vein will only improve his bottom line.

"My understanding is that iPass is using this to further strengthen their dominance in endpoint policy enforcement and security for the remote desktop," he said.