iPass to expand remote management

As mobile and remote access becomes more commonplace over a variety of wireless and wired networks, third party outsource providers are expanding their management services to the enterprise.

This week iPass will announce Virtual Office and Device Lockdown, a suite of management and security services respectively, for companies with heterogeneous remote networks.

Virtual Office will give companies a single piece of client software whether connecting over Wi-Fi, cellular, DSL or T-1 from home or remote office. Also included is a portal service for configuration and quality of service management in addition to support, training, and billing information.

Device Lockdown quarantines a device attempting to access the corporate network until it is patted down by the iPass policy server, according to Michael Suby, Research Program Director for Stratecast, a division of Frost & Sullivan.

The iPass policy server checks all compliance requirements before it allows a user to access a VPN and touches the customer's LAN. iPass will also white label the Virtual Office and Lockdown services to other telecommunications providers.