Rockville, MD (August 9, 2004) – 3e Technologies International (3eTI), the leading provider of FIPS 140-2 Layer 2 secure wireless solutions to the US Department of Defense and Federal Agencies, today announced a new family of  IEEE 802.11i -ready, robustly secure, and ruggedized wireless access points (APs).  The new APs (the 3e-525A, 3e-525C, and 3e-525N) combine 802.11i standards with FIPS 140-2 certification and 802.11b/g functionality for use indoors and outdoors, as WLAN hotspots, wireless bridging / repeating, and LAN switching.  All of the new APs employ FIPS 140-2 Layer 2 Certified Crypto Modules to deliver the most secure encryption.  All are firmware upgradeable to IEEE 802.11i and are WiFi-WPA2 compatible. 

Initial orders are shipping to select DoD customer programs during 3Q04.  Additional orders are being accepted for fulfillment in 4Q04.

“These 802.11i-ready solutions represent the most robust, secure, and standards-based solutions available to the DoD and Federal marketplace today.  They are built to Military specifications and are at the forefront of secure wireless networking,” commented Bob Hogan, 3eTI’s VP of Government Operations.  “They are 802.11i firmware upgradeable and represent the first industry standard solutions against which all others will be measured.  They are a unified wireless security solution for the Federal marketplace that accommodates both FIPS 140-2 and the newly ratified IEEE 802.11i standard.”  All of the new APs are built to meet the most stringent military specifications for vibration, Class A shock, EMI, humidity, temperature, and close proximity ordinance.

The 525 APs blend unique functionalities with versatility.  The 3e-525A and 3e-525N offer high power (200mw) 802.11b local access for coverage of 2000+ feet combined with 802.11g bridging/repeating, gateway functionality, standard PoE, rogue AP detection, RF power management, lightning protection, AES or 3DES encryption, and optional dynamic key generation.

Upgrades to the 3e-525A and 525N models will include Department of Defense Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to support critical DoD applications with public key certificates.   The 3e-525A is in process for both FIPS 140-2 Layer 2 and Common Criteria (CC) certification at EAL2+ level, with plans for EAL4.  CC and FIPS certifications are recognized by governments and customers worldwide as a critical measure of security and quality.

The 3e-525C is designed for sale to OEM/ODMs.  It has capabilities for either 802.11b or .11g WLAN as well as wireless bridging and is firmware upgradeable to 802.11i.

The 3e-525N offers additional capabilities for wireless sensor data acquisition with its unique combination of optional DAQ I/O, 5B, and SP modules, and USB, 48v DC ports.  The 3e-525N is Class A Certified for Mil Spec 901D Shock.   All of the APs are housed in sturdy NEMA type 4 enclosures to provide unmatched environmental survivability with extended range and maximum throughput. 

As with all of 3eTI’s FIPS 140-2 Layer 2 Validated™ products, the new APs are integral components of the 3e WLAN Security Suite, which offers supplemental Security Server Software for dynamic user keys.  This OSI Layer 2 solution of end-to-end, FIPS compliant hardware and software provides an easy to install and manage high security wireless solution.

About 3e Technologies International

3eTI is a wireless infrastructure and secure solutions provider for WLANs, Condition Based Monitoring and Telematics applications to the Department of Defense and Federal Agencies.  It is active in many standard bodies such as IEEE 802.11x, IEEE 1451.5 (as Chair), Bluetooth (as Chair for Industrial Automation), ZigBee, etc.  3eTI delivers complete wireless infrastructure solutions, not just security, and offers wireless networking options for: ruggedized enclosures, harsh environments, extreme temperatures, mesh infrastructure networking, wireless switching/bridging/repeating, RF management, rouge AP detection, etc.  For more information, visit www.3eti.com or send inquiries to info@3eti.com .

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.  FIPS 140-2 Validated-TM: A Certification Mark of NIST, which does not imply product endorsement by NIST, the U.S. or Canadian Governments