New Apps from F5 Networks Help Deliver Secure and Optimized Corporate Network Access for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch
Seattle based Application Delivery Networking technology provider, F5 Networks, Inc., today announced two apps that provide iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch users secure access to corporate networks and ensure IT teams can support both corporate and personal devices in enterprise environments. The apps, BIG-IP® Edge Client™ App and BIG-IP Edge Portal™ App are now available at the App Store.
The new apps work in tandem with F5’s BIG-IP Access Policy Manager™, BIG-IP Edge Gateway™, and FirePass® products to centralize application access control for mobile users of iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch devices. With these solutions, organizations can provide mobile access for employees, partners, and contractors, and IT administrators can grant full VPN access or limit access to specific applications, depending on business priorities and personnel requirements.
“As iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch further establish themselves in the corporate space, organizations have been pressed to support the products their employees want to use to stay connected,” said Erik Giesa, VP of Product Management and Product Marketing at F5. “The need for IT managers to enable access and encourage productivity without compromising security or control led F5 to develop apps for Apple’s iOS devices. This approach provides seamless corporate access that both users and IT departments can rely on.”
Suggested Reading – Mobile & Smart Device Security Survey 2010
The BIG-IP Edge Client App and BIG-IP Edge Portal App allow organizations to:
• Provide Secure Access for Corporate and Personal Devices to Enhance Productivity
Historically, IT and helpdesk staff have been called on to support both managed and unmanaged devices in the corporate environment. Without direct control of endpoints, IT risked alienating users by limiting support to certain corporate devices, or accepted the consequences of granting unsecured access to company resources. F5’s BIG-IP apps address this need by providing secure, managed access to corporate resources from iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch via F5 access solutions. With F5’s new apps, IT teams can broaden their support of user devices and help keep employees productive.
• Ensure Corporate Systems Uphold Security and Compliance Requirements
The new apps enable F5’s BIG-IP Access Policy Manager, BIG-IP Edge Gateway, and FirePass products to provide flexible, policy-based access capabilities for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. This allows IT to extend the proper level of access to corporate resources for specific groups or employees. In addition, F5’s security, logging, and accounting capabilities help ensure that access to company materials adheres to the organization’s specific policies as well as any applicable industry compliance mandates. As an example, F5’s dynamic access policy capabilities enable customers to firewall access based on user identity, endpoint context, geolocation, and the user’s directory attributes. Layer 7 access control and geolocation capabilities are unique to F5 among other vendors’ solutions.
• Improve Mobile User Performance with Accelerated Client Access
Data center consolidation efforts coupled with the growing use of mobile devices continues to put more physical distance between users and corporate data. F5’s BIG-IP Edge Gateway solution optimizes access between clients, gateways, and data centers, enabling iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch users to enjoy optimized performance regardless of location.
“According to ESG Research, 43 percent of enterprise organizations offer formal support for iPhones, while another 32 percent are interested in doing so,” said Jon Oltsik, Principal Analyst at the Enterprise Strategy Group.”
The F5 BIG-IP Edge Client and Edge Portal Apps are available for free from the App Store on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch devices.
