Switch vendor ConSentry has enhanced its intelligent switching architecture with features designed to focus on policy-based business application control. The new firmware release, version 3.2, adds new features which ConSentry says solves business problems in the network.

"There are three things we’re looking at with this new firmware release - efficiency, accountability and agility,” said ConSentry founder and chief technology officer, Jeff Prince.

With respect to accountability, Prince pointed out that it wasn’t just about government regulations. “It’s the ability to see what’s traversing the network, so you can plan and protect assets," he explained. "It's also the ability to make sure employees are using the network for the things they should be and aren’t doing things that could compromise network security.”

Prince commented that most of the firm's customers in the process of upgrading wiring closet kit are doing so because they’re rolling out VoIP and wireless and because there are a lot of moves, adds and changes to their network which “require new tools that don’t add a lot of operational cost”.

The new features supplied with the upgraded firmware release include the ability to implement application-based quality of service (QoS) at Layer 7, which gives increased control of web-based applications and instant messaging (IM). “Most apps nowadays use port 80 anyway over http – layer 7 visibility gives you a way to control these applications,” said Prince.

Prince added that there is a new automatic device and role discovery feature. “We can detect automatically when a user logs on from an Active Directory domain and we now allow IT managers to support policy using DNS names rather than IP addresses," he explained. "We can automatically recognise VoIP phones and card readers which makes it easier to set policies for them.”

“We’ve integrated user and application control into the switch and these functions need to be integrated as close as possible to the user,” said Prince, adding, “These need to be policy-based - who uses ACLs and VLANs anymore - even Cisco has said that you need to be able to do this based on role, policy and identity.”

ConSentry’s LANShield switches are available now stating at $7,995 and the new firmware is an upgrade for customers with current support contracts.