Check Point Breaks Price-Performance Barrier for Most Demanding Security Installations Using Dual-Core Processors from Intel

Business Wire, Sept 25, 2006

Unparalleled Performance by an Open Server Platform Combines the Flexibility of Software with the High Performance of the Most Advanced Hardware

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Check Point[R] Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq:CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing the Internet today announced a performance breakthrough for security software in demanding network security environments. By utilizing Dual-Core Intel[R] Xeon[R] Processor 5100 products, Check Point VPN-1[R] Power[TM] now offers the best-in-class performance of any integrated firewall, VPN and intrusion prevention software available in the security market by delivering 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) of throughput - a security industry first delivered on an open-server platform. This combined technology surpasses the speed of expensive specialized hardware while offering customers the flexibility to take advantage of the most recent high performance hardware developments.

"The Dual-Core Intel[R] Xeon[R] Processors 5100 Series provides better power management, reliability, speed, and can boost server performance by as much as two and a half times compared to our previous single-core offering," said Ton Steenman, general manager of the Infrastructure Processor Division, Intel. "Check Point is reaping the benefits of Dual-Core to offer the market a product that ensures high performance software security for organizations of all sizes."

The adoption of advanced, bandwidth-intensive applications such as VoIP, streaming video and real-time collaborative solutions have created a demand for high performance security solutions able to keep networks secure from Internet attacks and application vulnerabilities without performance degradation. Deep packet inspection of traffic with intrusion prevention enabled on a network firewall can significantly slow packet processing, causing an organization-wide bottleneck. Many organizations have turned to ASIC-based hardware to address performance needs but these appliances are expensive, difficult to upgrade and encounter depreciating performance as they deal with new threats.

Check Point VPN-1 Power is the industry's first integrated firewall, VPN and intrusion prevention solution that delivers the high performance needed to protect large enterprise, high-traffic networks. Through BIOS enhancements and the combination of Check Point SecureXL[TM] software acceleration technology with Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors 5100 innovations, the optimized open server platform used by Check Point VPN-1 Power enables customers to gain the pre-emptive, deep packet inspection protection of SmartDefense intrusion prevention while future-proofing their investment in network security software with a solution that achieves up to 10 Gbps of throughput. Check Point's open server approach delivers the promise, flexibility and affordability of software and allows customers to take advantage of complementary technology breakthroughs without protracted waiting due to firmware upgrades or hardware refresh-cycles. By utilizing this solution, companies can secure advanced, media-rich applications while protecting against the latest worms and application-level threats using general purpose hardware - saving time and money.

"High performance security solutions are necessary to protect enterprises from Internet threats and attacks as the adoption of bandwidth intensive, media rich applications proliferate in the workplace," said Dave Burton, director of product marketing, Check Point Software Technologies. "Through the Dual-Core Intel[R] Xeon[R] Processor 5100 Series, we achieved an industry-first 10 Gbps using an open server approach -- a speed unmatched by any other software security vendor. Now customers can enjoy the flexibility of software with the high-performance of hardware at an unbeatable price-performance ratio."

Dual Core Intel Xeon Processors

Intel Xeon processors are the most-widely deployed server processors in the world and are ideal for a broad range of business solutions, from application servers to e-mail servers to Internet servers. Based on the new Intel[R] Core[TM] Microarchitecture and designed for volume 2-way configurations, the new Dual-Core processor based servers deliver additional levels of performance, power-efficiency and reliability to help you improve the efficiency and responsiveness of your server infrastructure.

Check Point VPN-1 Power

Check Point VPN-1 Power delivers comprehensive, accelerated security for today's demanding environments, with tightly integrated firewall, VPN, and intrusion prevention technologies that provide comprehensive security and remote connectivity for corporate applications and network resources. Using SecureXL security acceleration, it accelerates the industry's most intelligent security inspection technologies, Stateful Inspection and Application Intelligence[TM], providing pre-emptive attack prevention against network and application-layer attacks for high-performance networks. VPN-1 Power is available on the industry's broadest range of open platforms and security appliancesComeeting the price-performance requirements of any size organization.