RedCreek offers a full suite of hardware and software VPN products. The Ravliný 4 delivers 4-Mbps performance for T1/E1-supported networks. The Ravlin 10 is designed to provide secured communications for Ethernet networks, LAN subnet-to-subnet connections and support for RedCreek's RavlinSoft remote/ mobile client. RavlinManager is our management and control tool.

Feature differentiation:

· True-blue IPSec (IP Security) compliance. RedCreek's Ravlin line of secure VPN hardware/software products is one of the few providers of true and full IPSec-compliant products. We feel that the ability to "purchase" IPSec compliance from the ICSA has created confusion about the definition of IPSec standard compliance. Conflicting and pervasive claims of "IPSec compliance" by vendors have contributed to this as well.

In April 1997, RedCreek was the first company to ship the key management portion of the IPSec standard, the Internet Security Association Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP), in its Ravlin products.

Cisco Systems and Secure Computing selected RedCreek to OEM Ravlin IPSec technology into their SecureZoneý and PIX® firewalls earlier this year, largely because of RedCreek's leadership in developing IPSec products. Customer benefits of IPSec are enhanced security features and protocol interoperability; a white paper on our Web site gives the names of IPSec interoperability partners.

· Ease of use and network security policy enforcement using RavlinManager. A Windows NT 4.0/95 management/control tool, RavlinManager has been an easy-to-use product with intuitive file structure. Now, RavlinManager has added the following features: a Secure Association-based design to allow management of VPN links between Ravlin units; a Secure Association Wizard for out-of-the-box setup of Ravlin VPN units; a Certificate Assistant to allow the import of X.509v.3 IPSec digital certificates into Ravlin and support for industry-standard X.509v.3 access systems; and routing awareness for ease of integration and interoperability.

· Performance of the Ravlin hardware units. In independent test after test, RedCreek's Ravlin 10 has been at or near the top of the performance charts for speed and scalability--all without having to add compression to boost performance. RedCreek provides customers the third-party Strategic Networks' performance tests that show Ravlin products operate at the theoretical maximum of Ethernet or wire speed at all packet sizes.

· Two-tier distribution worldwide. RedCreek is the only vendor in the hardware VPN market using distribution giant Tech Data to deliver its products domestically. The benefit is lower cost, more pervasive technical support and greater product availability across the United States than our competitors. RedCreek has several distributors in Europe and Asia for global support and coverage.

Network Computing's Evaluation of RedCreek Communications' Response

RedCreek's VPN solution covers some of the bases in Acme.com's RFP, but doesn't provide the encrypted data paths requested, nor did it address the need for consulting services for VPN implementation and training. RedCreek's management station, RavlinManager, provides centralized and tiered management for Acme.com's distributed environment. Unlike Bay, ADI and Shiva, RedCreek doesn't adequately describe network functionality or address future development plans.

RedCreek's proposal centers on two members of its Ravlin product line: the Ravlin 4, which supports encryption up to 4 Mbps, and Ravlin 10, which supports encryption up to 10 Mbps. Only Acme.com's New York office gets the larger Ravlin 10 product. This is probably due to the fact that the WAN operates only at T1 speeds, so the Ravlin 4 units should suffice. Of course, there is also a need for departmental VPNs as well as Ethernet. The Ravlin 4s would be a bottleneck for VPN traffic not traveling over the WAN.

RavlinManager offers tiered management so Acme.com's remote sites can handle certain aspects of the Ravlin devices protecting their networks. This relieves Acme.com's central IT department of some management duties; SNMP management provides extended facilities for Acme.com's existing management situation.

RedCreek's RavlinSoft secures traveling users running Windows95/3.11/NT, which can support X.509 V3 certificates. Access to Acme.com's existing user databases is provided through RADIUS, enabling Acme.com to leverage its existing database and lower its user management costs.