Networking firm Avaya has launched its new Avaya Identity Engine (AIE) 8.0 aimed at controlling access to wired and wireless network from user devices.
The product, seen as an attempt by the company to enhance its mobile strategy against competitors such Cisco and Juniper, is designed to help IT administrators control and secure infrastructure as more and more users access networks with their own devices.
The product comes as part of Avaya Mobile Collaboration for Enterprise. The product sports Ignition Acced Portal (IAP) which automatically registers and fingerprints devices as the attempt to access enterprise infrastructure. It also features Ignition CASE Client (ICC), this configures Windows PCs and tablets to securely access network resources.
The new features are aimed at organisations dealing with employees using iPads, iPhones, Android and other smart devices trying to access a corporate network. With IAP Identity Engine identifies the device and user based on login credentials. It then fingerprints it and registers it based on an organisation's own policies. The Access Portal can be customised and deployed across networks and geographies.
The ICC automates the process of device configuration for secure network access. The client is "dissolvable" and ensures devices connecting to a network meet specific security requirements before getting onto the network. It also configures the device without divulgin security certificates or shared keys to users.
Avaya said that this is particularly useful when business partners with unmanaged laptops need secure but limited access to network resources, for example - laptops can be configured automatically in seconds and the CASE client disappears from the user's equipment.
The launch coincides with similar products being showcased the the Interop conference in Las Vegas. Last week, Juniper revealed updates to products designed to secure BYOD access. The company updated its Junos software on its Juniper SRX550 Services Gateway and SRX110 Services Gateway as well as additional features to Junos and Junos Pulse aimed at allowing IT managers define and enforce policies to control user access to enterprise networks.
Cisco and Enterasys have also recently detailed new and updated BYOD and mobile device management (MDM) products. Cisco has improvements for its Identity Services Engine (ISE) policy manager and Enterasys is demoing at the conference its Mobile IAM appliance which performs auto discovery, device profiling, context-based policy management as well as inventory management with auditing and reporting.
