Symbol Offers Mobile Computing Wireless Security for Government Mobility Applications

Wireless VPN Client with FIPS 140-2 Encryption Provides Ideal Wireless Security for Federal Government and Civilian Agencies

Symbol Technologies, Inc. , a global leader in , today announced that it has integrated the Federal Information Processing Standard for cryptography (FIPS 140-2) into its line of rugged, wireless mobile computing devices.

Symbol implemented FIPS 140-2 in its virtual private network (VPN) client software, , to protect 'sensitive but unclassified data' in mobile computing applications deployed for federal government and civilian agency customers. The advanced encryption provided by FIPS 140-2 is the approved standard by the National Institute of Information Standards and Technology (NIST) for wireless networking applications.

"Using FIPS 140-2 over a wireless VPN provides very high-level security and is essential for government mobile computing applications," said Craig Mathias, Principal, Farpoint Group.

"The availability of FIPS 140-2 in new Wi-Fi wireless networking applications will dramatically increase the number of wireless mobile solutions being deployed by government entities," added Mathias.

With Symbol's client/server based software architecture, mobile users maintain a continuous connection to enterprise networks, while seamlessly roaming between local and wide area wireless networks. Symbol offers that feature single device configurations for single-mode WiFi or wide area wireless, or dual-mode WiFi and wide area wireless connectivity.

"Our comprehensive wireless security portfolio for mobile computing applications now satisfies the government's stringent requirements for security over WiFi wireless networks," said Ray Martino, general manager and vice president, Network Products, Symbol Technologies, Inc.

"We expect this new wireless security capability in our wireless networks and handhelds to ease security concerns in government markets and broaden the adoption of Symbol's mobility solutions," Martino added.

The new wireless security software is currently available in Symbol handheld devices running , including the Symbol , , and . Symbol also provides its security capability to Windows 2000 and XP based portable laptop computers.

The Symbol wireless VPN, AirBEAM Safe, also provides an ideal wireless security mechanism for legacy DOS-based handhelds. This approach is supported, as a Symbol custom implementation, in the following DOS-based mobile computing devices: the Symbol , , PDT 6000, , and series terminals.

Symbol's mobility solutions are being demonstrated this week in Washington, DC, at FOSE, the largest information technology exposition serving the government marketplace. The Symbol Technologies media kit for FOSE can be found online at .