Covalent Technologies Announces FTP Server Optimized for Enterprise Customers; Apache 2.0-based FTP Server Provides Encrypted File Transfer Capabilities and Easier Integration.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 18, 2002

Covalent Technologies today announced its Covalent FTP Server has been optimized for enterprise customers, delivering a complete server solution for companies relying on the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to exchange large amounts of data. Based on Apache 2.0, Covalent FTP Server delivers a higher level of security as well as easier integration and better performance than other standard FTP servers.

While large companies frequently use FTP as the primary method for large file serving and reliable data transfer, standard FTP servers typically do not meet enterprise requirements for integration, security, and performance. Covalent Technologies has developed a robust FTP server purpose-built for enterprise deployments that meets these advanced conditions. Its chief benefit is the ability for companies to conduct encrypted transactions, ensuring the highest level of security.

Benefits of Shared Infrastructure

Currently, many IT departments are forced to build redundant infrastructure components, such as authorization, authentication and logging, for both HTTP and FTP traffic. Covalent FTP leverages the advanced capabilities of the Apache 2.0 module architecture found in Covalent Enterprise Ready Server. In this model, content serving protocols are "plugged into" Apache's core processing and share infrastructure components. As a result, multiple protocols can be delivered from the same server instance while sharing authentication, authorization, logging, and programming API modules. Covalent has developed the technology to serve FTP, secure FTP, HTTP, and HTTPS from a single Apache instance.

Enterprise Standards

Enterprise file transfer systems demand additional requirements that extend beyond traditional FTP server capabilities. These common requirements fall into three categories -- security, integration and performance -- and are addressed by Covalent FTP:

Security

Covalent FTP does not carry the same added complexities and vulnerabilities of traditional FTP servers or SSL tunneling implementations. Covalent FTP utilizes the Apache 2.0 framework to leverage secure authorization, digital certificates (X.509) and SSL/TLS encryption security.

Covalent FTP secures the file transfer over the data connection using Secure Socket Layer security using Covalent SSL.

Integration

Covalent integrates with popular FTP clients that support both plain text FTP and FTP over SSL, such as CuteFTP and WSFTP Pro. Many users are already familiar with the functionality of these clients and do not need to learn a new application. Also, this removes the desktop support nightmares that exist whenever installing a new client into a large enterprise environment.

Performance

Covalent FTP is built atop the advanced processing architecture of Apache 2.0. In this model, administrators have the flexibility of running the FTP process in a pre-forked or threaded mode. Performance can be fine-tuned for the specific implementation using standard Apache syntax. Both the pre-forked and threaded processing options serve connections from a pool of workers. This is a solution with superior performance compared to FTP processes started from "inetd" or FTP servers that spawn a process for each incoming request.

Since Covalent FTP is an Apache-based server, it also inherits the scaling and stability that has made Apache the world's most dominant server. As a result, Covalent FTP has no problem transmitting large files or handling numerous file requests.

Platforms and Availability

Covalent FTP Server ships on Solaris, Linux, HPUX and Windows. Pricing is available by calling Covalent's direct sales force at 800/444-1935. More information can be found at Covalent's web site at www.covalent.net.

About Covalent Technologies, Inc.

Covalent is the leading provider of enterprise management solutions for Web server software. Founded in 1998, Covalent has developed a comprehensive Web infrastructure solution offering enhanced security, reliability and manageability. Funded by leading venture capital investors including Sequoia Capital, Menlo Ventures and Granite Ventures, Covalent is the only company offering a comprehensive suite of products, services and support for Apache. Companies such as Lucent Technologies, Dow Jones and others depend on Covalent for their Web Server infrastructure. More information about the company can be found at www.covalent.net.

All Covalent product names are trademarks of Covalent Technologies, Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.