New England Retail Chain Deploys Avenda Systems' Solution for PCI Security Requirements

Online, April 13, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Santa Clara, Calif. - Apr. 13, 2010 - Avenda Systems, the innovator in identity-aware network access security, today announced that Jordan's Furniture, a premier furnishings retailer in the U.S., has implemented its enterprise security policy solution to protect the retailer's wired network against unauthorized use. A combination of 802.1X and web-based machine authentication ensures that only authorized company and guest computers are granted access to the corporate network comprised of several Extreme Summit Ethernet switches.

"We wanted to eliminate the chance of someone randomly connecting a computer to an open Ethernet port and gaining access to our network," said Ethan Peterson, network engineer at Jordan's Furniture. "The Avenda solution allows us to create policies for our wired network, and then apply them to our wireless and VPN networks in the future. It is one of very few appliance based solutions with radius on board, has a wizard-driven UI, and is very easy to deploy. Avenda's usability and the number of built-in components were a major factor in selecting eTIPS when compared to other products."

As PCI DSS compliance was also one of the top security initiatives in the past year, Jordan's Furniture can now easily expand its deployment to other areas to cover additional requirements defined in PCI DSS documents, such as restricted access based on need-to-know, endpoint health checks for the latest anti-virus software, and more.

The sale was facilitated through Avenda channel partner Random Access. Other solutions that the IT team at Jordan's Furniture tested failed to provide the same level of built-in features, usability aspects, and value when compared to Avenda's eTIPS platform, Peterson said. In one comparison, the competitor would have charged extra for 802.1X licensing, where Avenda supports 802.1X as a part of the base product.

"Our network access solution maps perfectly to PCI compliance needs," said Trent Fierro, director of marketing at Avenda Systems. "Built-in components exist for at least 9 of the 12 current PCI requirements, which make Avenda attractive for phased deployments of PCI compliance and general network access security."

About Jordan's Furniture
For nearly 100 years, Jordan's has provided well-built, quality furniture to the people of New England. Based in East Taunton, Mass., Jordan's Furniture is known for selling more furniture per square foot than any other furniture retailer in the country, and making philanthropy a cornerstone of their business.

About Avenda
Avenda Systems introduced the industry's first multi-function platform for network access security that breaks through past deployment barriers - complexity, compatibility, compliance and cost. Avenda's flagship eTIPS solution is a scalable AAA platform that utilizes identity-based policies for access control, endpoint health and device authorization for wired, wireless and VPN networks in multi-vendor environments. Further information: www.avendasys.com