News

Kolumbus Oy and SSH Communications Security Corp. have signed a letter-of-intent regarding the SSH Complete VPN security solution. According to the agreement Kolumbus Oy will market the SSH security solution to its customers. The solution secures connections between corporate networks and remote users. The solution also includes smart card based identification of network equipment and users as well as centralized management. The parties are completing the technical evaluation during the summer and aim at signing the final agreement in August. The Kolumbus end-user product will be launched domestically in Finland at the end of August.

Kolumbus offers the security solution to its customers as a complete service package. The SSH Complete VPN solution includes network equipment placed in customer´s premises as well as advanced management software for offering VPN-connections between the customer corporate network and remote users. The SSH Complete VPN is tailored to meet the needs of telecommunications operators and service providers. The SSH Complete VPN enables easy and cost- effective installation and administration of VPN-services. SSH has made arrangements for the manufacture of the network hardware with a major international contract manufacturer. The arrangement ensures sufficient manufacturing capacity and flexibility to meet market demand.

"This agreement enables Kolumbus-services to offer its customers cost-effective, comprehensive and easy-to-use security solution for the Internet", says Teppo Kokkonen, Senior Business Manager of Kolumbus. "The SSH Complete VPN system eliminates security risks that exist particularly in wireless networks and public communications networks. This solution gives Kolumbus a competitive advantage to on the market and its customers an easy- to-use and complete security solution. Kolumbus will carry out further testing of the solution with some of its major clients during this summer."

SSH Entering New Market Segment

"The partnership with Kolumbus is very significant economically as well as technically to SSH in marketing the SSH Complete VPN. In addition to opening up a new market segment the testing carried out in cooperation with Kolumbus prove that the system meets the needs of operators that offer tailored communications services," says Markku Kangas, President & CEO of SSH Communications Security Corp. SSH has begun marketing of the SSH Complete VPN on the major European markets during this spring and will do so alsoit in the US and Japan in the near future.

For additional information, contact:

Kolumbus Oy, Teppo Kokkonen phone +358 10 266 2465, +358 50 598 6171, teppo.kokkonen@elisa.fi

About Kolumbus

Kolumbus, part of the Elisa Communications Group, provides Internet-connections and portal services as well as other solutions and applications serving the electronic business operations and other activities of companies and organizations. The core activity of Kolumbus is to provide communications environments for customers and to connect the services provided by companies to their users in a number of different ways. For more information about Kolumbus visit www.kolumbus.com.

© 2002 SSH Communications Security Corp. All rights reserved. ssh® is a registered trademark of SSH Communications Security Corp in the United States and in certain other jurisdictions. All other names and marks are property of their respective owners.