Nortel Secure ‘Office-on-a-Stick’ Protects Remote Network Access from Any PC

New Secure Portable Office Helps Liverpool Women’s Hospital Ensure Privacy

TORONTO - Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT ] has unveiled a unique business solution that gives road warriors a secure ’office-on-a-stick’ using a specially-formatted USB key for Windows PCs that automates business network access when inserted and protects information and applications by completely removing them when the USB key is removed.


This solution - called Nortel Secure Portable Office - combines hardware, software and services to provide simple, secure network access for remote workers in healthcare, government, finance, education, hospitality and other industries.

“Simplicity is critical,” said Dr. Zafar Chaudry, director of IT for the Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust **, a hospital specializing in care for women and babies. "Community-based midwives from Liverpool Women’s Hospital will be using Nortel Secure Portable Office with hospital-provided laptops, 3G wireless data cards and Nortel Mobile Client Accelerator to securely access, review and update server-based medical records from patient homes.

“Our midwives must keep up with complex and changing procedures to ensure the very best patient care,” said Dr. Chaudry, recently named Techworld’s 2008 CIO of the Year .** “Having a simple solution that allows them to do their jobs securely without having to learn complex log-in and operating procedures is a real plus.”

When the Secure Portable Office USB key is inserted into a Windows PC, user identity is first authenticated. Then a secure network connection is established through Nortel VPN Gateway . Finally, a ’Virtual Desktop’ is launched, presenting the user with a menu of authorized network applications. An automatic scan for viruses and out-of-date or malicious software can also be configured.

All data and applications are encrypted, both in transit and on the PC. When the USB key is removed, the complete Secure Portable Office environment - including all confidential data and applications - is automatically removed. This helps ensure regulatory compliance by protecting sensitive information that could otherwise be exposed on a lost or stolen laptop.

What separates Secure Portable Office from competitive offerings are the upfront services Nortel provides to help organizations tailor solutions to their own unique requirements. This can include everything from application, security and business continuity needs assessment to network architecture and security policy consulting and solution training.

“Secure Portable Office is a prime example of the ’new Nortel’,” said Dietmar Wendt , president, Global Services , Nortel. “It’s about bringing services-powered solutions to bear on customer needs in a consultative fashion. It’s about combining our extensive services experience and world-class products to create complete, customized solutions in virtually any industry.”

Nortel Mobile Client Accelerator is a WAN acceleration software package that minimizes frustrating delays and improves efficiency by managing bandwidth and optimizing network performance. Nortel VPN Gateway uses SSL protocol to extend enterprise applications and data to remote users while protecting the network from malware attacks and loss or theft of confidential information.
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