Innosoft Announces Enhanced Security and Management for LDAP Directory Products.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 8, 1998--

Scalable enterprise directory server now

includes RSA-based security and Tcl management tool;

Products also extended to AIX and OpenVMS platforms

Innosoft International Inc. announced this week at the GartnerGroup ITxpo98 an update release to the Innosoft Directory Services (IDS) product suite that includes support for RSA cryptographic algorithms as an option to the other non-patented algorithms already supported for Transport Layer Security.

The new RSA security module enhances Transport Layer Security support for both client-to-server and server-to-server secure authentication and data confidentiality. IDS products with these additional security enhancements will begin shipping to customers by the end of October 1998.

The update release also includes a new directory management tool, based on the popular Tcl scripting language, for use in remotely managing multiple LDAP servers. In addition, Innosoft announced that IDS products for IBM AIX on RS/6000 and OpenVMS for both Alpha and VAX platforms are currently in final field test and will be available in early November.

The GartnerGroup recommends that enterprises adopt LDAP directories in 1998 as the technology of choice for directory-enabled networking and applications. This same report noted that unique features offered by the Innosoft Distributed Directory Server -- specifically, secure server-to-server chaining and virtual attributes -- are early instances of "virtual directories," described by Gartner as multiple directories that appear to users and applications as a single directory.

Innosoft's IDS products have been deployed by MCI WorldCom, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and Reuters because of Innosoft's ability to deliver real-world directory solutions using LDAP technology that is reliable and manageable, and meets the demanding scalability and performance requirements of today's enterprises.

Innosoft chief executive officer Clyde Johnston said, "No other LDAP product vendor offers one-stop shopping for the range of LDAP-based directory products encompassed by the IDS product suite, nor the world-class expertise that is routinely made available by Innosoft both before and after the sale."

Referring to the recent launch of a new directory synchronization product as part of its award-winning PMDF suite of enterprise messaging and directory solutions, Johnston added, "With the addition of automated directory synchronization capabilities, Innosoft is in the unique position of being able to very comprehensively respond to the innovative and diverse directory strategies being envisioned by our customers."

New RSA-based Security

Since initial release, IDS products have provided support for secure authentication and data confidentiality using the Internet's Transport Layer Security (TLS) standard, based on Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Using this security model, users have had the choice of various non-patented cryptographic algorithms, including the Digital Signature Standard, Triple-DES, and Diffie-Hellman. Users can now choose to deploy secure directory services using the security algorithms created by RSA Data Security of Redwood City, Calif. The optional IDS-RSA add-on security module is designed to integrate well with Web browsers available from Netscape and Microsoft, as well as other software clients that require secure connections using the RSA algorithms.

Innosoft's LDAP Administrative Shell

The Innosoft LDAP Administrative Shell (ILASH) is a flexible scripting tool, based on the Tcl scripting language, that provides an LDAP-enabled shell environment for remote management and monitoring of one or more LDAP servers. ILASH allows an administrator to do powerful searches, as well as to script common administrative tasks such as addition or deletion of specific entries, bulk loading of changes, bulk export, and consistency checking. In addition, ILASH automatically follows referrals and supports real-time monitoring of server operational statistics.

ILASH security includes protection of passwords using the Internet's Simple Authentication and Security (SASL) standard by employing the CRAM-MD5 SASL mechanism. ILASH also uses TLS to establish an authenticated and encrypted link with an LDAP server using either the non-patented algorithms as described above or the new RSA security module.

IDS Products Now Available on AIX and OpenVMS

Serving as the flagship of the IDS product suite, the Innosoft Distributed Directory Server (IDDS) is being extended to the IBM AIX and OpenVMS platforms to address demand for well-supported LDAP directory technology on these traditional enterprise system platforms. IDDS complements existing network infrastructure by integrating information associated with other directories and applications.

The AIX offering will also include the Innosoft LDAP Proxy Server (ILPS), which enhances an existing firewall solution by providing important access control and search filtering functions at the network firewall to guard against malicious attacks. Finally, for those organizations needing to develop their own client applications, the Innosoft LDAP Client SDK has been extended to support Java, which complements the existing C and Perl support.

According to Dr. Greg Lavender, Innosoft's Director of Technology, "This release represents another important step in Innosoft's strategy to make high quality LDAP directory technology available on every major enterprise platform in order to support the extraordinary growth and diversity of customer requirements that is driving the market."

Pricing and Availability

Pricing for the Innosoft Distributed Directory Server ranges from $1,800 for 1,000 entries to $95,000 for one million entries -- customized pricing is available for over a million entries. The optional IDS-RSA add-on security module is priced at $2,000. Prices for the Innosoft LDAP Proxy Server are $4,800 for up to 15 concurrent connections; $12,000 for an unlimited number of connections. Pricing for other products includes the Innosoft X.500 Connector at $4,800, the Innosoft LDAP Administrative Shell at $750, and the Innosoft LDAP Client SDK starting at $2,000.

In addition to projected availability on AIX and OpenVMS in November as announced above, IDS products are currently available for Windows NT 4.0 for Intel, Solaris v2.5/2.6 (for SPARC and x86), Digital UNIX v4.0b for Alpha, and Red Hat Linux v5.1 for Intel. Availability on Windows NT for Alpha and HP-UX is projected for 1Q'99.

About Innosoft International

A pioneer in enterprise e-mail solutions since 1987, Innosoft International continues its leadership in the development of Internet standards in both messaging and directory technologies. Innosoft markets its PMDF e-Mail Interconnect and Innosoft Directory Services product suites directly to end users, as well as through a network of international distributors and solutions partners.

Innosoft's products are also marketed through strategic relationships with major software vendors who incorporate PMDF and IDS technologies as part of solutions provided to their end user customers. Innosoft's products are presently installed at more than 2,400 sites in 51 countries throughout the world. The company is located at 1050 Lakes Drive, West Covina, CA 91790; telephone [phone]; FAX [phone].

PMDF is a registered trademark of Innosoft International Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.