Check Point Breaks the Sound Barrier with Integrated Support for RealAudio
Redwood City, CA —
Check Point Software Technologies, Ltd., the leading provider of Internet security software, and Progressive Networks, makers of RealAudio(tm), today announced that Check Point's market-leading FireWall-1(tm) product is the industry's first firewall to provide integrated, secure support for RealAudio. The code, available now on Check Point's Web server (http://www.checkpoint.com) can be downloaded at no charge and integrated into current FireWall-1 installations to provide instant, secure support for RealAudio. Information about the add-on FireWall-1 code is also available on Progressive Networks' Web server (http://www.RealAudio.com).
RealAudio technology gives Internet and World Wide Web users equipped with a standard multimedia personal computer and a 14.4 Kbps modem instantaneous access to audio-on-demand as practically as the delivery of text and graphics. Until now, users behind firewalls could not take advantage of RealAudio.
"The new FireWall-1 add-on code enables customers to push the limits of the Internet and use RealAudio's leading-edge technology securely," said Dr. Deborah Triant, CEO and president of Check Point Software Technologies, Inc. "FireWall-1's extensible architecture has made it the industry leader by providing secure, transparent support for the most applications and by making it easy for administrators to customize FireWall-1 to incorporate new applications, such as RealAudio."
"We are very excited that Check Point Software Technologies has made this committment to RealAudio," said Martin Dunsmuir, General Manager for the Real Audio Server Product. "As the first firewall vendor to deliver integrated support for our product, their efforts open the world of RealAudio to an even bigger audience."
RealAudio technology is based on both TCP and UDP-based protocols. This has made it difficult or impossible for most firewalls to support RealAudio securely, because their architectures cannot support UDP-based protocols. FireWall-1's patent-pending "stateful inspection" technology makes it the only firewall product on the market today that can handle both TCP and UDP-based applications and services securely. The add-on code provided by Check Point follows Real-Audio connections and extracts information about incoming UDP sessions and accepts or encrypts those sessions from these connections. About FireWall-1
FireWall-1 protects an organization's internal network security with full,transparent access to the Internet's vast resources. The product's "stateful inspection" technology significantly enhances network security over other firewall solutions, such as packet filters and application gateways, by verifying data at all communication layers. Network security is further enhanced by FireWall-1's encryption, client authentication and IP address translation features.
FireWall-1 overcomes the limitations of other firewall approaches by supporting all Internet protocols, services and applications automatically. In addition, FireWall-1 includes a scripting language that allows applications such as database queries and multimedia applications to be customized for the firewall. This flexibility, combined with its GUI-based rules editor, automates the task of establishing an organization's security policy. FireWall-1 allows the customized security policy to be created, monitored, and maintained from a single workstation.
About Check Point SoftwareCheck Point Software Technologies, Ltd., is the leading vendor of Internet security software. With thousands of installations in small to Fortune 100 companies worldwide, Check Point FireWall-1 has emerged as the standard for enterprise-wide network security. Check Point's products are sold through distributors, resellers and Internet service providers worldwide, including CompuServe, SunSoft, Inc. and UB Networks and their respective worldwide distribution channels. The company is privately-held and has U.S. headquarters in Redwood City, California and international headquarters in Ramat-Gan, Israel. For more information call (800) 429-4391, e-mail info@checkpoint.com or visit Check Point at http://www.checkpoint.com.About RealAudio System
Progressive Networks' RealAudio client/server software system enables Internet and on-line users equipped with conventional multimedia personal computers and voice-grade telephone lines to browse, select and play back audio or audio-based multimedia content on demand, in real time. This is a real breakthrough compared to typical download times encountered with delivery of audio over conventional on-line methods, in which audio is downloaded at a rate that is five times longer than the actual program; the listener must wait 25 minutes before listening to just five minutes of audio.
Since its introduction in April 1995, over 910,000 RealAudio Players have been downloaded from the RealAudio Web site and more than 230 Web sites are in the RealAudio directory. Progressive Networks also offers a RealAudio server product for major media content providers to distribute audio or audio-based multimedia streams over the Internet to a broad base of consumers and end users.
About Progressive NetworksProgressive Networks, based in Seattle, develops and markets software products and services designed to enable users of personal computers and other digital devices to send and receive audio and audio-based multimedia services using the existing infrastructure.