The software product is aimed mostly at mid-sized organizations that don't want to invest in more expensive solutions from vendors like Checkpoint, says Steve Schlesinger, Astaro's managing director. Astaro is also targeting branch offices of big corporations.

ASL brings together Astaro's proprietary middleware, user interface, and Web-based administration tools with a hardened Linux kernel and several open source security components.

Bundled in, as well, is antivirus software from Kaspersky Labs. "We also resell (SSH's) SSH Sentinel as a VPN client for road warriors. Or, you can use a PPTP client, which comes with practically every Windows machine," Schlesinger says.

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