Astaro secures iPad connections

The business case for buying an iPad has grown even stronger with yet another enterprise software vendor launching products tailored for the much-hyped tablet device.

This time it was unified threat management vendor Astaro which yesterday announced its Security Gateway product now provides support for the device that allows business users to securely connect their iPad to the corporate network.

"The iPad has achieved massive sales numbers and shows strong consumer demand for this type of device, and businesses will have to face the issue of how employees can securely use it for business tasks while on the road," said Gert Hansen, vice president of product management at Astaro.

"Connecting to the network with the Astaro Security Gateway means employees can securely access their resources via the iPad. This feature is not reserved to Astaro customers as it is also included in the Essential Firewall edition that is free for business use."

The Astaro Security Gateway supports PPTP, L2TP and IPSec Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections, and removes the need to purchase new apps or networking equipment to work safely on the iPad, said the firm.

The news follows launches by Citrix, Zenprise and Rackspace all designed to make the iPad more attractive to the corporate user.