Network security vendor Check Point has released its VPN-1 UTM [unified threat management] software suite, designed to aggregate branch office security onto a single system. It also launched its VPN-1 Power suite for firms needing higher performance and throughput.

Both packages can be managed by IT staff at a central location, and they will require little training if there is a familiarity with Check Point’s earlier security hardware and software.

Check Point’s UK security engineer manager, Caroline Ikomi, said, “For large enterprises there’s a clear split between their branch offices and their core networks. This is reflected in what we’ve done here. We’ve given an option of UTM for large enterprise branch offices, but for central sites they’ll need high performance and high throughput with not everything loaded onto one box.”

VPN-1 UTM boasts an intrusion-prevention system (IPS), antivirus and Secure Sockets Layer VPN capabilities, and a standard network firewall plus a web-application firewall. “You can also install the Integrity [host checking] software we acquired from Zone Labs on the same system and this gives tighter integration and one set of admin consoles, making the whole system easier to set up and configure,” added Ikomi.

Check Point’s software can be installed on commodity hardware, or on dedicated appliances available through Check Point’s hardware partners such as Crossbeam or Nokia.

Nokia has already launched its IP390 Firewall/VPN appliance, which is the first platform to support VPN-1 UTM and Power software.

VPN-1 UTM and VPN-1 Power are available now. Nokia’s IP390 is also shipping, priced from £3,700 + VAT.

Research firm IDC predicts that by 2008 the UTM market will be worth nearly $3.5bn. Other security vendors such as 3Com, Symantec, SonicWall and Zyxel have also launched UTM systems in the past six months.