Sorry to break my promise, but this is cut and paste so I`ll hope you`ll excuse me. Mobile IP is one thing, that is a terminologi but companies which have an Mobile IP has additional technology. The Client is just called Mobile IP Client, that dosen`t mean its the same usage as Mobile IP from the dictonary. The additional software such companies sometimes are deepending on is in most cases allready installed, for example by Cisco. Thats why Cisco are cooperating with theses kind companies, beacuse they don`t interfere with existing software or infrastructur. The company also don`t need any additional hardware which a lot of other companies need. And they also provide hotspot-software so they`re software are on both sides of the table so they can be providing the best usage.
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Purpose
Birdstep Intelligent Mobile IP software is fundamental to our vision of providing user-friendly, secure service availability independent of time, place, and type of infrastructure.
Our solution draws on extensive experience in network and communications research and development and Mobile IP technologies.
With the Birdstep Intelligent Mobile IP Client, users and applications are seamlessly connected and reconnected across different types of network infrastructure without application or user intervention. Awareness on the presence of a secure or open network triggers VPN connections only when needed.
Functionality
Universal and Standard operation mode
The Universal operation modus targets enterprise users that need flexibility and security while roaming. If you use Virtual Private Network (VPN) software for secure access to private resources (a company intranet, for example), the client automatically enables and disables the VPN software according to whether you are "at home" in a secure environment or "away", using the public network. This unique feature allows you to even cross your security firewall boundary without disrupting application sessions. The Standard operation modus targets public users, or small enterprise users. It operates with either an always on or always off VPN connection.
Interoperates with existing VPN solution
Birdstep Intelligent Mobile IP leverages on the continued development of security mechanisms such as IPSEC. VPN interoperability makes it possible to establish secure VPNs together with the Mobile IP service, allowing companies to leverage existing investments in VPN solutions and make them available in the mobile space. VPN interoperability accommodates both split and full-tunneling security policies. VPNs that use virtual VPN adapters are also supported. The VPN interoperability includes both integrated and stand-alone personal firewall solutions.
NAT traversal support
The Mobile IP Client supports UDP based NAT traversal as described in the IETF draft. The client, together with the Mobile IP Agent, determine if UDP NAT traversal is required as a part of the registration sequence. In addition to supporting the IETF draft, the Mobile IP Client works with Cisco’s support for NAT traversal.
Network context awareness
The Client collects network context data during operation and stores it in a history database. It then exploits this information to optimize and speed up decision-making when it revisits known environments. The use of historical data is invisible to the user except from written to the event log. The Client is also aware of insecure and secure networks and is able to trigger the VPN client or turn it off accordingly .
Seamless handover
Birdstep Intelligent Mobile IP provides seamless handover with no user intervention between infrastructures such as LAN, WLANs and cellular networks, thus integrating two different radio technologies. The PPP dial-up support includes technologies such as PSTN/ISDN, GSM/ GPRS, CDMA2000, PPPoE software used for ADSL connections, and also Bluetooth. The solution is only dependent on terminal support for the necessary network interfaces.
Open and Portable Architecture
Birdstep Intelligent Mobile IP is designed as an open solution. It is compliant with the latest specifications from IETF and interoperates with solutions from leading back-end infrastructure providers such as Cisco, HP and Sun, and VPN solutions from vendors such as CheckPoint, Cisco, Nortel, Microsoft and others.
Remote Client configuration
The Mobile IP client now incorporates a remote configuration option enabling users to download all or parts of a configuration from a central location. The system administrator responsible for setting up the configuration server can also control access to it. The remote configuration option is based on standard web server technology. The Mobile IP client can either be pre-configured with the URL of a particular configuration server, or else prompt the user for a configuration server URL. Downloaded configurations include their source URL so that they can be "refreshed" periodically if the central configuration is updated. Downloaded configurations can be set to refresh themselves automatically by setting an expiry field.
Performance Monitoring
Performance monitoring allows the Birdstep Intelligent Mobile IP client to take informed handover decisions based on a detailed performance overview.
Security and Authentication
The Birdstep Intelligent Mobile IP Client has several options to authenticate the mobile user and protect the mobile IP signaling messages. The following security associations are supported in any combinations: mobile node <-> home agent, mobile node <-> foreign agent, and mobile node <-> AAA infrastructure. For replay protection, both challenge-response authentication as well as time-stamp protection is supported. Authentication of mobile users can further be tailored to meet the particular requirements of the administrative domain to which the user belongs. This is accomplished by replacing any of the default authentication modules (keyed-MD5, HMAC-MD5) with any module that is pertinent to the actual domain. In addition, Birdstep Intelligent Mobile IP interfaces with existing security components in the targeted platforms, and leverages the continued development of security mechanisms such as IPSEC on some platforms. These security mechanisms makes it possible to establish secure Virtual Private Networks (VPN) that offer Mobile IP services.
Smart Web Access Detection
This feature automates access to DSL services and IP zones (or "wireless hotspots") that use HTTP-based authentication schemes. It keeps the session alive while providing the opportunity to enter your credentials to the hotspot that does not support a Mobile IP Foreign Agent. Once authenticated the handover occurs.
Multi-user installation configuration
Support for multi-user installation configuration on a single machine. Three levels of user access supported; advanced, intermediate and novice. Advanced users have full access to the local configuration. Intermediate and novice users have only limited access to the local configuration and are expected to download predefined configurations from a central location.
Reverse Tunneling
Enables the foreign network to enforce strict ingress filtering rules in routers and firewalls.
Network Access Identifiers
Birdstep Intelligent Mobile IP supports the use of Network Access Identifiers to make administration of Mobile IP services simpler and more cost-efficient.
Environments Supported
Interoperability with Cisco IOS Home Agent and Foreign Agent (HA/FA), Sun HA/FA server, and Linux HA/FA implementations compliant with IETF Mobile IP specifications.
Platform Support
- Windows 2000
- Windows XP
- Pocket PC 2002
- Symbian (Note: Platform considered for future release.)"
