News

ISA Server 2004 Generally Available

• By Scott Bekker
• 07/13/2004

ISA 2004, Microsoft's second-generation application firewall, VPN and Web caching server, adds support for unlimited multiple networks, enhanced VPN filtering, support for VPN tunnel mode and a new user interface among other changes.

Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Microsoft's security business and technology unit, made the announcement at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2004 in Toronto. Earlier at the same conference, Microsoft disclosed that another key element of its security strategy, Windows XP Service Pack 2, will be available in August. (See story).

The generally available version of ISA Server 2004 is the standard edition, which will cost $1,499 per processor. An enterprise edition will ship later.

Microsoft has had some trouble getting ISA Server 2004 out the door. Company officials had hoped to deliver ISA Server 2004 more than a month ago at Microsoft TechEd in May.

With ISA Server 2004 coming almost three years after ISA Server 2000 shipped, Microsoft has had plenty of time to line up partners. Solution partners with supporting products include Cloudmark, FilterLogix, Forum Systems, GFI Software, McAfee, Panda Software, Rainfinity, RSA Security, SurfControl and WebSpy.

HP immediately began taking orders for a hardware solution built on ISA Server 2004 that the company previewed at TechEd. The HP ProLiant DL320 Firewall/VPN/Cache Server is the first of a series of hardware solutions coming from several vendors. Other companies working on ISA-based hardware include Celestix Networks, Network Engines, Pyramid Computer, RimApp Technologies and Wortmann.