Juniper Networks and Network Infrastructure Partners Drive Standards-Based Network Access Control

Juniper Networks and Network Infrastructure Partners Drive Standards-Based Network Access Control

Support For 802.1X in Juniper Networks Unified Access Control Increases Value of Customers' Existing Network Infrastructure; Provides Flexible Deployment Options

SAN FRANCISCO/RSA CONFERENCE - February 6, 2007 - Juniper Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: JNPR) today announced the company is teaming with leading network infrastructure partners to help customers leverage existing investments in 802.1X-enabled switches and wireless access points to implement network access control. Juniper Network's Unified Access Control 2.0 (UAC 2.0) solution delivers standards-based interoperability with networking solutions from partners that include Aruba Networks, Colubris Networks, Meru Networks and Trapeze Networks. Interoperability between the Juniper Networks UAC 2.0 solution and partners' solutions provides flexibility for deploying network access control without requiring a forklift upgrade of the network, and eliminates the need for a single-vendor network infrastructure environment.

Juniper Networks' UAC 2.0 solution interoperates with any 802.1X-enabled switch or wireless access point, providing organizations with an immediate network access control solution. Standards-based enforcement on a vendor-agnostic 802.1X-enabled infrastructure allows enterprises to control access to the network at Layer 2, before an IP address is assigned, thereby mitigating threats to the network from unauthenticated users and non-compliant endpoints prior to admission. In contrast, competitive network access control solutions from other providers may require enterprises to deploy an end-to-end proprietary infrastructure.

"An important consideration in any enterprise's network access control strategy is whether it will integrate well with the existing infrastructure," said Peter Cellarius, vice president of business development at Aruba Networks. "If you have a secure wireless LAN infrastructure such as Aruba offers, or any 802.1X edge switch, you can leverage this investment as part of your access control strategy. Aruba and Juniper Networks are systematically removing barriers to adoption and simplifying the deployment process through standards-based solutions. That's future-proofing."

As enterprise networks grow increasingly complex and mobile, with users including employees, guests, partners and contractors requiring access to critical business information, Juniper Networks' UAC 2.0 solution solves the problem of balancing access controls and threat mitigation. In many enterprises, network endpoints are often poorly managed, unmanaged, or in some cases, unmanageable. Business requirements demand that users and devices get access to resources and applications, but providing such access without sufficient controls opens the enterprise to a number of business and security risks and regulatory compliance challenges. By binding user identity, endpoint integrity and location information with access controls, the Junipers Networks UAC 2.0 solution allows for dynamic policy management that can be enforced in real-time throughout the network.

"Strong network access control in the world of converged IP services demands flexible solutions that take advantage of best-in-class solutions from a heterogeneous mix of industry leaders," said Ahmet Tuncay, vice president of product management and business development at Trapeze Networks, a Juniper Networks J-Partner. "We are excited to be working with Juniper Networks to help meet customers' network access control requirements."

"Juniper Networks continues to build on its commitment to open standards for network access control through the industry's first vendor-agnostic, standards-based solution that features integrated support for both the IEEE 802.1X standard and the open specifications created by the Trusted Computing Group," said Steven Wastie, vice president of enterprise marketing at Juniper Networks. "By teaming with network infrastructure vendors who have adopted 802.1X, Juniper is providing a comprehensive and flexible approach to network access control that enables enterprises to maximize their investments in best-in-class infrastructure, lower total cost of ownership and improve their overall security posture."

About Juniper Networks, Inc.

Juniper Networks develops purpose-built, high performance IP platforms that enable customers to support a wide variety of services and applications at scale. Service providers, enterprises, governments and research and education institutions rely on Juniper to deliver a portfolio of proven networking, security and application acceleration solutions that solve highly complex, fast-changing problems in the world's most demanding networks. Additional information can be found at www.juniper.net.

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