HUGHES TWEAKS VPN SPEED, TOYS WITH VoIP

Hughes Network Systems last week announced it has developed a technology that gives broadband satellite users faster access to corporate networks over a VPN connection.

Using a combination of new technologies and previous enhancements to its network, HNS' VPN Accelerator allows Direcway subscribers to transmit and receive data via VPNs with the same amount of latency that traditional satellite users would experience. In theory, that latency shouldn't be much more than a half second (one-quarter second for the uplink segment; one-quarter for the downlink, though in practice it's longer, said Ken Cohen, assistant for enterprise and strategic marketing at HNS.

“The performance historically has been more like a second and a half to allow us to better manage the space segment,” he said. “It's well within human tolerances for a quick turnaround.”

Key to the technology is applying the acceleration elements before the data is encrypted and sent through the network. And while satellites typically are considered closed networks, HNS is finding a number of users, particularly among the 24 million teleworkers in the U.S., who want the assurance of encrypting data.

“There are plenty of people that can't get broadband,” Cohen said. “We needed to have a VPN product that is consistent with corporate security policies.”

In the initial implementation, VPN Accelerator will be compatible with Nortel's VPN product line. Later versions will interoperate with Cisco Systems' and Checkpoint's products.

The company also is looking at a number of ways to mesh its existing voice-over-IP product with the VPN service. HNS has been selling VoIP in the international market, but believes the addition of encryption could open up a niche domestic market among users who want a secure voice connection.