Akonix Launches First Integrated Instant Messaging Management Appliance
Akonix L7 CM5000 appliance provides simple, easy-to-deploy solution for enabling safe, productive use of instant messaging
San Diego, CA - January 25, 2005 - Akonix Systems, Inc., a provider of business solutions for secure, managed and integrated multi-network enterprise instant messaging (IM), today announced the Akonix L7 CM5000 appliance, the industry's first all-in-one solution for IM management, compliance and security. The Akonix appliance provides expanded deployment options for Akonix's award-winning technology to manage, control and secure IM use across both public networks and enterprise systems. Fully deployed, it will also prevent the unauthorized intrusion of more than 50 different rogue consumer peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing applications, such as Kazaa and BitTorrent.
The Akonix L7 CM5000 appliance runs on a hardened operating system, pre-loaded and pre-configured for instant deployment. This unique new deployment option is highly secure and drastically reduces set-up time and day-to-day administration for resource constrained IT departments. The Akonix appliance leverages the company's IM management and security technology, currently deployed by more than 500 customers.
"Our customers are being challenged to comply with government regulations such as HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley, and they have to address the fact that IM is a written form of e-mail that creates a written record," said Palaninswamy "Raj" Rajan, President and CEO of Vigilar, an information security consulting firm and Akonix partner. "That means it's necessary for IM records to be archived, and failing to archive has legal and regulatory challenges. Our customers need tools to meet compliance and they appreciate the simplicity of an appliance solution like the Akonix L7 CM5000. We are delighted to work with Akonix in providing an IM security solution to help customers support such a popular method of communication."
The Akonix L7 CM5000 delivers the award-winning security, compliance, and management features of Akonix L7 Enterprise and Akonix Enforcer software on a 1U rack-mountable server appliance. The system provides enhanced security and includes redundant storage for critical system data.
"There is growing market demand for security and messaging companies to offer customers the additional deployment option of a single purpose appliance," said H. Dubose Montgomery, Managing Director of Menlo Ventures, one of Silicon Valley's oldest venture capital partnerships, and Director at Akonix Systems. "We believe the combination of Akonix's innovative technology and the simplicity of an all-in-one appliance will accelerate the growth of the entire IM management category."
The key benefits for enterprises offered by the new Akonix L7 CM5000 appliance include: %%Enabling organizations to gain control of their network by identifying and blocking all unauthorized users of public IM and P2P network software from more than 50 different consumer applications across ten networks
Providing integration with existing enterprise systems by tying public IM use to corporate identities and enforcing usage policies at user, group and domain levels
Providing IT with the tools to meet IM compliance and record retention requirements by logging, monitoring, archiving and auditing of all IM conversations across public networks, private systems and enterprise deployments
Providing flexible, granular policy control of IM features, and defining content and usage parameters for public and enterprise IM use
Mitigating IM based security threats by filtering IM content and file transfers for viruses, malicious content, spim and other threats
Leveraging IT infrastructure investments through integration with directory services, email archiving and security infrastructure of the organization
Making it easy for IT to keep up with emerging IM threats by utilizing Akonix's dynamic update capabilities to stay constantly up to date with the latest IM protocols and filters for IM security threats
The Akonix L7 CM5000 appliance is a 1U rack mountable server with an Intel P4 processor, 1GB memory and redundant hard drive. Beta units are being deployed now and general availability is scheduled for March 2005 from Akonix and its authorized reseller partners. To learn more about Akonix solutions, including its new appliance, please contact sales@akonix.com or visit http://www.akonix.com.