Internet Access: oGuard Frees Internet Users from Waiting, Waiting and Waiting — New Software Speeds Web Download Times Up to 500% While Protecting Privacy

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, July 20, 1998

WRQ, Inc. Tuesday announced availability of @Guard, a new Internet software utility offering individuals freedom from the "World Wide Wait."

@Guard dramatically speeds up the download time of web pages, gives users the power to protect their privacy by controlling what information a web site can gather and lets the user create a protective firewall perimeter around a PC. @Guard is the only software solution on the market offering enhanced performance, privacy and personal firewall protection.

"@Guard is great for anyone using the internet with a modem via telephone lines because it increases download speeds significantly without increasing bandwidth," said J. Gerry Purdy, president and CEO of Mobile Insights. "This is especially important for mobile users who will experience a significant increase in speed, saving time and money. The privacy and personal firewall protection features are also a huge plus."

"WRQ's seven years of experience in the development of networking and filtering technologies went in to creating @Guard," said Craig Schmidt, director, Network Access Management, WRQ, Inc. "More than 8,000 users have already downloaded preview versions of @Guard and overwhelmingly give high marks to the increase in speed they experience while using the Internet."

Performance @Guard increases Internet performance by up to 500 percent for individuals. Corporate users, mobile users, small business users and home users will save time and money with a faster Internet experience. Freedom from the "World Wide Wait" comes from the product's ability to selectively filter advertisements, banners, graphics and animated GIFs. This saves download time and reduces bandwidth bottlenecks. For modem users on standard phone lines the increase in speed is especially dramatic.

Privacy and Protection @Guard provides individuals with the power to protect their privacy on the Internet. Many web sites download "cookies" onto the hard drive of a PC to track users on a site. @Guard gives users the ability to selectively accept or deny cookie and refer field reporting of the user's information back to sites. For example, a user might choose to accept cookies on trusted sites such as subscription-based sites, brokerage sites or a site they visit frequently. However, a user searching the Internet may choose to deny cookie reporting.

In addition, @Guard's personal firewall capabilities enable a protective perimeter around the user's PC. Access to and from the PC can be limited by application, network port, IP address or even to a particular time period. With the increasing importance of security for Internet, intranet, and extranet resources, individuals are looking for more control over who accesses their PC.

Availability and Pricing @Guard software is developed by WRQ, a long-time provider of connectivity and management solutions. @Guard is now available for purchase on Software.net, BuyDirect.com and Software Depot on Netscape Netcenter. The manufacturer's recommended retail price is $29.95 (US). A 30-day trial of @Guard can be downloaded from www.atguard.com.

System Requirements: @Guard works with leading browsers on Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT 4 platforms. The Microsoft TCP/IP stack is required.

WRQ makes software for connecting and managing personal computers on corporate networks. Reflection products connect PCs to IBM, AS/400, UNIX, X, Digital, and HP systems, and include TCP/IP software, Internet/intranet access, and remote and mobile user support. Express products provide software metering and management to any PC on the network, regardless of network operating system. Both product lines are backed by WRQ's award-winning Guide Services technical support program.

WRQ, Inc., founded in 1981 is the 17th largest PC software company in the U.S. (Soft-Letter). It has offices throughout the world and distributes products in more than 50 countries through a worldwide distribution network. FMI: www.wrq.com.