CloudShield Cuts the Cost and Complexity of High-Volume IP Content Control; New Multi-Function Software Platform Addresses Mounting Traffic Management Challenge for Service Providers and Federal Agencies.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- CloudShield Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of IP services security and control solutions, has launched the first multi-function software platform designed specifically to address the growing challenges of managing mixed, high-volume IP services traffic.

The CloudShield Content Control Suite (CCS) provides analysis, control and security for high-volume networks such as those operated by service providers and federal agencies. It includes a software platform driving CloudShield's unique deep packet inspection technology to enable selective granular analysis and control of traffic at high speeds. Unlike traditional point solutions, CCS is also highly flexible, allowing organizations to manage a wide range of services -- such as VoIP or IPTV -- from a single platform. This can result in as much as 50% lower Total Cost of Ownership. For example, it allows service providers to safeguard their hardware and software investment while responding quickly to demand for new services. Similarly, it enables federal agencies to leverage a single CloudShield system investment across a range of custom applications.

"Service providers today face the burdensome task of maintaining a profitable infrastructure while supporting rapidly growing volumes of traffic, especially as applications such as video streaming and VoIP gain in popularity. Allowing unmanaged P2P traffic on their networks, for example, costs service providers millions of dollars," said Vikash Varma, president of worldwide sales, marketing and field operations at CloudShield. "Not only must they ensure performance and safeguard against attacks, but, to benefit from their investment, they must also be able to identify and deploy new services and revenue opportunities by examining usage patterns and content on their networks. CCS is the first multi-function software solution that allows service providers to address all of these needs using a single hardware platform in a cost-effective way."

CloudShield is working with Lucent Technologies' services arm in Latin America. Lucent services team will be provisioning, managing and maintaining the CloudShield solution to ensure that it is efficiently controlling and securing data traffic on the service provider's network.

"The pressure to deliver competitive and profitable broadband services such as IPTV, and new security threats associated with these technologies, have increased the importance of IP content control," said Paulo Perez, security professional services managing principal, Lucent Technologies in the Caribbean and Latin America. "By teaming up with CloudShield, we're able to offer service providers in South America a comprehensive solution to this growing problem and one that will adapt with their future application needs."

In addition to the benefits for service providers, CCS addresses the content control issues faced by large government organizations. Federal agencies require zero-tolerance security, even for highly specialized, mission-critical custom applications, so managing and securing IP traffic across several of these applications is a challenge. CCS delivers a reliable solution to this problem, providing government departments with a cost-effective means of guaranteeing both security and performance.

To support this multi-function approach, CloudShield will make available solution and data set modules to enable partners and customers to implement multi-function solutions to address the most common challenges faced today. Solution modules will include:

--Signature Detection Module -- identifies traffic of interest using signatures from a variety of sources, including Snort.org, Kaspersky, and custom applications.

--Traffic Control Module -- enables a wide range of traffic controls including QoS marking, traffic shaping, redirecting, and MPLS or VLAN tagging.

--VoIP Tracking and Reporting -- identifies SIP- or H.323-based VoIP services for measurement and control, and detects DDoS attacks against VoIP infrastructures.

--Content Billing Module -- collects vital statistics on user flows for use in usage-based billing solutions.

--Traffic Measurement Module -- collects and reports statistics on selected traffic for greater situational awareness and network intelligence.

Data set modules include:

--3rd Party signature sets: CloudShield is making Kaspersky Lab's award-winning malware signature set available to run with the CCS Signature Detection Module.

--Open Source signature sets: the Signature Detection Module supports the open source Snort(R) rules and can import rules from sources including Snort.org or BleedingSnort.

--Custom signature sets: partners and end users can create their own traffic selection / detection signature sets for service identification or classified security purposes.

The CCS platform and all modules run on CloudShield's CS-2000 Content Processing Platform, which provides core content inspection and traffic control functionality. CCS application programming interfaces allow easy integration with a range of applications, such as policy managers, subscriber managers and billing software, to reduce service development timeframes and ensure data generated by content analysis can be applied to core business processes.

"CloudShield's multi-function platform heralds a new approach to addressing the growing content control problem faced by organizations today," said Counse Broders, research director, network services at Current Analysis. "As the volume and variety of IP traffic increases, being able to manage and secure this content without needing to deploy a new point solution for every emerging application will become critical."

CCS modules and data sets will become available in Q4 of 2006.

About CloudShield

CloudShield solutions provide large network operators new levels of visibility and control of the traffic traversing their high-speed networks, providing opportunities to monetize network content and better manage their subscribers' experiences. CloudShield systems enable controls to be customized to individual operator requirements, supporting unique service offerings and operator policies. Through its application and solution partners, CloudShield has helped deliver solutions to carriers in North America, Europe and Asia as well as many important U.S. federal government customers. More information about CloudShield can be found at www.cloudshield.com.