Permeo Drives Out Operational Costs, Simplifies Secure Remote Access.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Permeo Introduces Base5 to Eliminate Administrative Pain by Delivering "Zero-Touch" Secure Remote Access and Endpoint Security for All Users and Applications

Permeo Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of secure remote access solutions, today announced Base5, the industry's first integrated software appliance delivering "zero-touch" SSL VPN, endpoint security services and advanced information controls. Base5 eliminates the administrative and integration complexity in delivering access and security services to managed and unmanaged devices. The result is a decrease in operational costs of more than 50%, based on total cost of ownership analysis.

"We've seen an 82 percent reduction in operational costs for remote access since implementing Permeo's solution. Permeo has simplified remote access not only for our IT staff but for our remote employees and business partners who need instant access with no hassle," said Zachary Grant of Sun Healthcare Group. "With Base5, we can provide access to internal applications and confidential data, such as patient health records, without compromising our network security and without the burden of installing and supporting heavy client software."

Industry's First Simple Secure Remote Access Solution

Permeo's Base5 extends SSL VPN and endpoint security services to any user and virtually any application, without the complexity of integrating multiple vendor solutions. It provides a unified policy enforcement and management framework that fully integrates SSL VPN, information control, browser security, malware protection, and host integrity checks. Base5's patent-pending session layer technology uniquely enables a "zero-touch" deployment model in which no remote client administration is ever required for the delivery of connectivity and endpoint security capabilities.

"SSL VPN products are a boon to organizations that are looking to deploy secure remote access capabilities," said Mark Bouchard, senior program director at META Group. "Undoubtedly, these capabilities would be even more useful to a broader set of constituents if implementation of advanced features, such as network layer access to legacy applications and host integrity checking, did not require administrative privileges or integration of separate, third-party tools."

Changing Workforce Increases Expense and Complicates Delivery of Enterprise Secure Remote Access

According to research group IDC, the number of mobile and remote workers will grow to more than 150 million by 2006, creating considerable pain for IT managers tasked with providing connectivity to diverse user groups working from managed and unmanaged devices. Additionally, vulnerabilities in remote endpoint protection are estimated to have contributed to over $10 billion in damages to enterprises. Traditional SSL VPN solutions, that promised simple "clientless" connectivity, have failed to ease these pains. Instead, IT administrators face the difficult task of deploying multiple modes of access, integrating third-party endpoint security solutions, and dealing with multiple management consoles in order to serve a rapidly changing remote user population that requires multi-dimensional connectivity, security and policy enforcement of their endpoint devices.

"Today's integration and administrative pain has resulted in considerable cost to the enterprise as business operations become more distributed in scope and as user requirements become increasingly complex," said Michael Bennett, CEO of Permeo Technologies. "The power of Permeo's Base5 is the measurable benefit of a dramatically simplified operational model that immediately reduces support costs, improves security, and enables universal connectivity."

About Base5

For traditional SSL VPN solutions, supporting complex applications entails costly management requirements such as client software installation, multiple access modes, and administrative privileges. Traditional SSL VPN products are implemented at layer 7, the application layer. Base5 operates at layer 5, the session layer. This unique session layer approach eliminates Web browser and HTTPS dependencies and provides "zero-touch" connectivity to virtually any application -- from simple web to complex client server applications.

Key Base5 Business Benefits:

--Increase operational efficiencies and decrease costs

--Reduce administrative overhead

--Mitigate risk and ensure compliance

--Increase user productivity and satisfaction

--Enable business partnerships

Key Base5 Technology Features:

--Single Mode Connectivity -- enables connectivity to any application, including Web-enabled and legacy applications, through a simple interface with the look and feel of the user's native desktop.

--Simplified Administration -- eliminates client software, multiple consoles and policy engines. Unified management console defines and distributes policy instantaneously without end user touch; monitors and logs all connectivity and security features from a simple Web-based interface.

--Advanced Information Controls -- enforces granular user policies to control data after it arrives on the devicetop, preventing the theft of intellectual property or sensitive data and assuring regulatory compliance.

--Host Integrity Checks -- ensure that antivirus software is updated, OS and browser service patches are installed and a personal firewall is enabled on the remote device before allowing remote access connection. Base5 continues to monitor and verify endpoint security levels throughout the session.

--Browser Security -- enables the user to interact safely with confidential corporate information stored by the browser during a VPN session, including cache, auto-complete and offline browsing. The secure encrypted browser protects the session from malware and clears all encrypted files after the file is closed, preventing information from being passed between subsequent users such as at kiosks, shared workstations and outsourced call center PCs.

--Malware Protection -- prevents malware, such as Trojans, spyware and unauthorized remote applications, from masquerading as legitimate traffic and using the VPN connection to attack the network.

Pricing and Availability

Permeo Base5 will be generally available April 2005. Pricing is based on concurrent user licenses starting at $50 per seat for all features including remote access and endpoint security.

About Permeo

Permeo Technologies is a leading provider of secure enterprise remote access solutions. Based on an innovative layer 5 architecture, Permeo's Base5 simplifies the complexities and dramatically reduces the TCO for delivery of secure remote access by integrating "zero-touch" SSL VPN and endpoint security capabilities. With more than 250 customers, including 30% of the Global 100, Permeo provides leading-edge solutions to a broad range of industry segments including healthcare, financial services, technology, manufacturing, energy, and business services. More information about Permeo can be found at www.permeo.com.