Bluesocket and IBM Build Innovative Wireless Network for Syracuse School District.

BURLINGTON, Mass. -- In a move to take students, faculty, and administrators to the next level of computing and communications, the Syracuse City School District in New York is installing an innovative converged voice and data network with high-speed wireless access across 22 sites. Each building is equipped with a wireless network and laptops that allow students and faculty to communicate in a security enhanced, on demand infrastructure that allows access to be controlled while making data transfer highly efficient. The access control, authentication, encryption and bandwidth management for the new network was provided by Bluesocket, Inc. (www.bluesocket.com), the leader in open wireless security and management solutions.

Bluesocket today announced an alliance with IBM Global Services. The alliance will develop a new approach for large-scale heterogeneous wireless LAN environments that integrate multiple equipment providers, where security breaches can be particularly threatening and for which centralized configuration, radio-frequency management and intrusion detection are critical. The relationship provides clients with Bluesocket Wi-Fi security technology combined with IBM expertise in heterogeneous networks.

"We chose Bluesocket and IBM because together they offer the expertise to help us protect and manage our campus-wide wireless network with a simple, low-cost and easy to manage solution," said Don Spaulding, Director of Information Services and Technology Syracuse City School District. "By teaming up, IBM and Bluesocket were able to provide us with a client-free, open system that allows us to segment WLAN's specifically for students, guests or faculty."

"Bluesocket's approach for extending wireless access with granular role-based policy enforcement, authentication, encryption and bandwidth management is important for complex networks," said Don Lopes, Global Business Development, IBM Global Services.

"Our initial focus will be on campus solutions for education, healthcare, and government agencies where a mixed vendor environment is required to be supported." Collaborating on security architectures and policies, the two companies will provide advanced network solutions for wireless authentication, encryption, roaming and intrusion detection.

"It's important to work with a systems integrator in these more complex heterogeneous networks where Bluesocket is a market leader and has a competitive advantage," said Ralph Calistri, CEO of Bluesocket. "We look forward to continuing our close relationship with IBM to ensure our joint customers reap tremendous benefit from market-leading wireless security and mobility solutions along with IBM's world-class services and solutions."

Bluesocket Solutions Overview

Bluesocket Wireless LAN solutions help secure and control Wi-Fi networks and provide universal authentication, Secure Mobility(R), policy and bandwidth management through unparalleled interoperability with legacy infrastructure and WLAN standards. Bluesocket has implemented real-time monitoring of Wi-Fi users' data to detect malicious traffic based on the users' actual behavior without requiring any client-side software. This enables administrators to automatically block network access to hackers or worm infected users well before traditional signature-based tools have updates available.

Most recently Bluesocket announced BlueSecure 3.1, a dedicated wireless LAN monitoring and intrusion protection system to protect an organization's network from wireless-based attacks. BlueSecure includes a server platform that provides WLAN administrators with an intuitive management interface to view all user activities, neighboring wireless LANs, rogue or unauthorized Access Points, outside threats posed by "war driving" or man-in-the-middle attacks, and advanced correlation to detect wireless attacks.

About Bluesocket

Founded in 1999, Bluesocket is the leader in open wireless security and management solutions that simplify the complexities of mobile enterprises. Thousands of Bluesocket Wireless Gateways are deployed by leading enterprises including Harvard University, Honeywell, Universal Health Services, Toyota, Parker Hannifin and others who require policy-based, open-systems solutions to secure, manage, and profit from their wireless networks. (www.bluesocket.com)

Secure Mobility and BlueSecure are trademarks or registered trademarks of Bluesocket, Inc. All other trademarks, trade names and company names referenced herein are used for identification only and are the property of their respective companies.