Data Fellows and Nokia Secure Wireless Corporate Intranet Access

Improved security enables GSM operators to connect Intranets

(Hannover, March 17, 1997)

Data Fellows and Nokia Telecommunications have signed an agreement to integrate Data Fellows' award winning F-Secure VPN encryption software into Nokia's Artus wireless data networking solutions. The Nokia Artus solution enables GSM operators to offer secure corporate Intranet solutions, without the requirement of using costly leased lines to reach their corporate customers.

"Weakness of remote access security has discouraged remote access to corporate networks. In partnership with Data Fellows we can now provide GSM operators with an IP networking solution which meets the strict security requirements of corporate IT managers. This means new business for GSM networks," said Petri Pöyhönen, Vice President, Wireless Data Server Systems at Nokia Telecommunications.

"Intranet remote access outsourced to GSM operators represents an important market restructuring. In the context of Nokia's Artus Managed Internet Access Point (IAP) networking solution, we can see immediate potential of leveraging our encryption technology already widely used for LAN interconnect," said Risto Siilasmaa, Managing Director at Data Fellows.

Data Fellows' F-Secure VPN encrypts and compresses TCP/IP packets transmitted over public data networks to private corporate networks. Military-strength cryptographic security of F-Secure VPN prevents malicious access to the transferred information. Encryption is implemented at transport layer and is thus transparent for applications.

A major business potential for wireless operators is to further extend corporate Intranets to the world of wireless coverage. This enables businesses to increase their efficiency by ensuring their staff secure, wireless connectivity to their e-mail, groupware and corporate database resources.

Remote access to corporate data resources has been traditionally implemented in corporate premises with dial-in modems. Corporate IT can now outsource this costly telecom access technology to GSM operators and operate in a clean IP protocol environment. Remote access becomes as simple as LAN interconnect.

In the interest of future market compatibility, Data Fellows and Nokia are both committed to following the emerging open IP security standards.