WatchGuard To Enable Self-Configuring UTM Appliances

WatchGuard Technologies, a Seattle, Washington-based IT security solutions vendor, said early this week that its UTM security appliances will soon be able to configure themselves, thanks to “RapidDeploy”, a new cloud-based configuration utility.

The security firm said that the new utility will eliminate the need for IT security professionals to pre-configure devices or travel to the deployment site for installation, something that company says will help reduce the total cost of ownership on its security devices.

“Rather than requiring manual provisioning of the device in advance, IT staff or security service providers create and store configuration data in the cloud — public or private — and have the appliance directly shipped to its destination,” WatchGuard explained. “Once it arrives and is plugged into a power source, it effectively deploys itself by automatically ‘phoning home’ to the cloud for secure download of its configuration settings.”

“With RapidDeploy, we’re taking the delay out of the deployment process,” said Roger Klorese, Director of Product Management at WatchGuard Technologies. “It’s secure, it’s fast, it automates basic configuration tasks, and makes remote or branch office deployment virtually hands free.”

“Our customers in distributed enterprise environments and MSSP partners now have more dynamic configuration tools and even greater manageability of their WatchGuard devices deployed across multiple locations and geographies,” Klorese added.

Scheduled to be available before the end of 2012, the company said that RapidDeploy will be available in future WatchGuard Fireware XTM releases or as a free upgrade for customers with the appropriate support and maintenance contracts.