INTERNET security technology provider Symantec Inc has unveiled a new firewall/virtual private network appliance to complement its enterprise-level firewall and VPN solutions.

The appliance is available in three models - the 100, 200 and 200R - to meet varying network traffic and remote access requirements.

Symantec Australia Pty Ltd's Asia-Pacific product manager Leigh Costin said the firewall/VPN appliance is targeted at small offices, which include branch offices of large organisations that have between two and 40 people.

"Small businesses and remote offices are not immune to security and data integrity risks. In fact, it has become a business and financial imperative to have secure, reliable Internet access, which is easy to manage," he said.

With its all-in-one functionality, the firewall/VPN appliance can be easily installed to create a high-speed local area network (LAN) that enables secure access and interaction via the Internet with remote locations, business partners and corporate networks, Costin said.

The product started shipping in the Asia-Pacific this month and locally, it is available from First Tech Pacific and HPD Systems. The firewall/VPN 100 is priced at US$499 (RM1,896) while the 200 and 200R cost US$900 and US$1,199 respectively.

One feature of the product is built-in 10/100 megabits-per-second (Mbps) auto-sense network switch that simplifies set up and provides direct connections along with LAN performance. Four ports are included in the 100 model and eight ports are available in the 200 models. Also in the 200 series are two wide area network (WAN) ports that load-balance all traffic passing to and from the Internet. Each WAN port can be connected to different service providers even if they each use different technologies such as digital subscriber line and cable modem.

Costin said VPN security appliance market will present an opportunity for Symantec as the market has been projected by research firm IDC to grow to US$4 billion by 2005.