Catapult Bridges the Communication Gap for Rocksteady Networks' Clients
Rocksteady Networks produces software that enables companies to share wired and wireless networks, without sacrificing security, performance, or usability. The RocksteadyNSA™ Network Sharing Application is a software solution that provides all of the advanced features required to share and protect a network. RocksteadyNSA allows companies to selectively determine who can enter the network, determine which resources each user can access and limits and prioritizes bandwidth usage in real time on a user-specific basis. Rocksteady required a way to dynamically secure communications between client computers and the RocksteadyNSA using a standard protocol that was available on all client computers and had the ability to run on multiple versions of Windows.
Secure communications over a shared wireless network is very difficult with the current state of the industry. Although the newest protocols provide a more secure environment, Rocksteady clients are slow to adopt the new protocols and require security for those users who still have older protocols. In addition to security, clients expect network access without having to reconfigure their computers or install additional software. Rocksteady Networks turned to Catapult Systems' years of experience with Microsoft-based solutions to deliver a solution that would fit their requirements.
Catapult worked closely with the Rocksteady engineering team to develop an ActiveX control that installs automatically on the end-user computers and provides a secure VPN link to the network gateway running the RocksteadyNSA application.
Automatic "No Touch" Installation. A user who chooses to access the secure network simply visits a local Website where the Wireless Individual Private Networking (W-IPN) ActiveX control is hosted. The control is automatically downloaded and installed and the secure connection made with the shared network. This is truly a "no touch" installation, in that the user does not have to reconfigure anything and the control itself does not reconfigure the system, write files, or modify the system registry. A "no touch" installation is more likely to be trusted and used by users who are concerned about what software is installed on their machines.
Transparent Operation. Once the VPN connection is made, the control operates transparently. The user is able to view Web pages, check email and do all other tasks that require access to the network. The user can even close the Web page that hosts the control and the secure link will remain. A Windows task tray icon allows the user to control the connection.
"We had fairly strong functional requirements, before engaging Catapult Systems, but in the course of our dialog, we discovered details and nuances about the development that we had not anticipated. Catapult worked with us to refine and elucidate our requirements, then negotiated project terms (cost, schedule, prioritization) that maximized Rocksteady's value for the effort. The resultant delivery was on time and precisely the technology that Rocksteady needed to enable transient wireless users to dynamically protect their wireless access in public hotspot and WiFi venues. "
- Eric White, Vice President of Engineering, Rocksteady Networks, Inc.