SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Juniper Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: JNPR) today introduced its industry leading SSL VPN solutions for the small-to-medium enterprise (SME) market, providing SMEs with a secure, cost-effective and easy-to-deploy solution for remote employees to access corporate networks. Built upon the industry's leading SSL VPN platform - the Juniper Networks Instant Virtual Extranet (IVE) platform - the NetScreen Remote Access 500 appliances are optimized for SMEs with packaging, pricing and easy implementation tailored to this market.

Juniper leads the SSL VPN industry with 45 percent market share, according to Infonetics Research's latest study. Juniper Networks has also been named the SSL VPN leader by Forrester Research, Frost & Sullivan and Instat/MDR, and has earned a leader quadrant position in Gartner, Inc.'s SSL VPN Magic Quadrant.1 The Juniper Networks NetScreen Remote Access 500 series leverages the most mature SSL VPN appliance in the industry, at a SME-oriented price starting at $4,000 USD.

"Sub-$5000 is ideal pricing for secure remote access solutions for the SME market segment," said Mark Bouchard, senior program director, META Group, a leading provider of information technology research, advisory services and strategic consulting. "For such SME-targeted solutions it is important for vendors to strike a balance: They must maintain simplicity but still deliver a highly functional, full-featured product."

The SME segment represents a growing opportunity for SSL VPN solutions. Infonetics Research reports that the SME segment is expected to double deployments of remote access VPNs over the next several years. Infonetics found that, "In 2002, 24 percent of small, 37 percent of medium and 60 percent of large organizations had deployed remote access VPNs; by 2007, the numbers are 55 percent, 74 percent and 90 percent, respectively."

"The NetScreen Remote Access 500 series uniquely positions Juniper Networks and our channel partners to expand our SSL VPN market leadership and address new customer and channel business opportunities," said Krishna "Kittu" Kolluri, general manager and vice president, security products group at Juniper Networks. "This product delivers on our promise to continue bringing the best solutions in the market to our channel partners and customers. A much broader set of enterprises can now realize the value of deploying secure remote access from a Juniper Networks SSL VPN."

Unlike legacy client-based remote access technologies, the new NetScreen Remote Access 500 series uses SSL-based transport to provide secure remote access via any Web browser without the need for client software distribution, maintenance and support. The NetScreen Remote Access 500 series products are delivered in a purpose-built appliance and eliminate the need to harden servers or make changes to existing infrastructure, resulting in a cost-effective, secure, remote access solution that is easy for customers to deploy and simple for end-users to operate.

"Small-to-medium enterprises are underserved today with proven SSL VPN alternatives," said Phil McKiverkin, consulting manager at Akibia, Inc., an enterprise-class IT solutions provider. "With the launch of the NetScreen Remote Access 500 series, Juniper Networks is bringing its industry-leading SSL VPN solution to SMEs, giving us an entirely new value proposition to offer. Their Remote Access appliances are a good fit for the SME, as they address the specific price, feature and supportability needs that this customer set has been asking for."

Juniper Networks Inc.