SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Juniper Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: JNPR) today announced that its NetScreen Secure Access appliances are the industry's first SSL VPNs to integrate the popular Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) standard. The Juniper Networks SSL VPN portfolio now interoperates via standards-based interfaces to administer authentication, authorization and Single Sign On (SSO) policies stored in corporate directories, providing secure access to network resources with significantly lower costs of deployment versus traditional software-based security solutions.

Juniper Networks also announced today that it has joined with leading access management companies to ensure interoperability with its new SAML-enabled SSL VPN solutions (see related press release issued today titled "Juniper Networks Teams with Leading Access Management Companies to Expand Secure Extranet Access").

The broad adoption of access management solutions makes SAML integration essential for SSL VPN vendors because SAML defines an XML-based framework for exchanging security information in a standards-based manner. By offering standards-based authentication and authorization assertions within the NetScreen Secure Access SSL VPN product family, Juniper Networks enables customers to simplify the deployment of trusted environments through centralized policy stores, and provides investment protection for customers with existing identity and access management solutions.

"Customers are evolving to using SSL VPNs for secure extranet access and will look for this type of access management functionality," said Mark Bouchard, senior analyst, META Group, a leading provider of information technology research, advisory services, and strategic consulting. "It makes sense to have provisioning systems linked to SSL VPNs so enterprises can leverage efficiencies from their investments in unified directory products. A standards-based approach minimizes the amount of customer work necessary to ensure interoperability with existing identity management and user provisioning systems, and provides an extensible architecture for future deployments."

Juniper Networks Inc.