NetScreen Technologies is joining other IP Security VPN vendors that recognize customers want a simpler, less-expensive, secure remote-access method to supplement their VPNs.

The company is teaming up with SafeWeb to provide a Secure Sockets Layer-based remote-access alternative that requires no additional SSL client software on remote machines. That is because SafeWeb's Secure Extranet Appliance (SEA) Tsunami gear uses SSL technology already embedded in Web browsers.

Other makers of VPN gateways, such as Nortel, already have made provisions to include these simpler remote-access alternatives that operate at the application layer rather than the network layer.

Initially, the relationship between NetScreen and SafeWeb is limited to joint sales. So if a NetScreen customer is interested in SSL remote access, NetScreen will contact SafeWeb. Along with the alliance comes NetScreen's endorsement of SafeWeb's gear.

Later, depending on customer demand, the companies will integrate their management platforms so customers that use both IP Security-based and SSL-based remote-access servers can manage both platforms from one platform. For instance, NetScreen could bring management of SafeWeb gear under its Global Pro software, as it has with other partners such as SafeNet and Sygate.

NetScreen says the relationship is not exclusive, and it could embrace other SSL remote-access vendors.

This type of relationship should not stop users from shopping around and checking out vendors' claims, says Art Devore, deputy project manager/technical lead for the U.S. Naval Medical Information Management Center (NMIMC). "Vendors are vendors. They're trying to sell you the things," he says. The agency uses SafeWeb's gear to allow secure access to NMIMC's intranet.

Meanwhile, SafeWeb is linking up with Radware to provide systems that support more simultaneous remote-access users. SafeWeb says Radware's Cache Server Director (CSD) is interoperable with SEA Tsunami, making it possible to load-balance secure traffic to Web servers as the traffic comes in via a SEA Tsunami. CSD can load-balance traffic from the Internet to multiple SEA Tsunamis. Beyond giving the site support for more remote users, it lets IT staff take a SEA Tsunami offline for maintenance without interrupting remote access.