Chunghwa Telecom will offer both new and existing ADSL subscribers the option of installing Trend Micro’s GateLock, an easy-to-use, plug-and-play device packing comprehensive security features specially designed for always-on broadband connections. GateLock guards broadband users against hackers, viruses, Trojans, and other unauthorized intruders. With these new services from Trend Micro, Chunghwa Telecom is believed to be the world’s first broadband access provider (BAP) to offer such a potent array of security features for broadband in an integrated solution.
ADSL gateways, cable modems, and other always-on broadband connections provide immediate, high-speed access to the Internet, but without proper security precautions they leave an open channel to the PC plainly visible to anyone on the Internet. GateLock hides and secures this channel with a hardware-based firewall, high-performance virus scanning, and Network Address Translation, which assigns a false IP address and hides the PC’s actual address from outsiders. A DHCP server permits multiple computers or a small network to share the secure broadband connection.
Chunghwa Telecom has been adding a range of new user services as deregulation allows new competitors into Taiwan’s broadband and dial-up Internet markets. HiNet, Chunghwa’s ISP subsidiary, remains the overwhelming leader in both the dial-up and ADSL markets. As of February 2001, HiNet served more than two million dial-up accounts and 138,000 ADSL subscribers, commanding more than 70% of the overall market. Taiwan’s DSL broadband market began to accelerate rapidly last year, with 130,000 ADSL subscribers in December, and roughly 300,000 by April. Chunghwa Telecom expects to maintain a market share of more than 70% as the ADSL market crosses the million-subscriber mark by the end of this year.
Broadband’s phenomenal growth is making it the main stream of the Internet access market, said Trend Micro’s CEO Steve Chang. When Trend Micro anticipated the industry’s direction, we drew on our core competencies, such as central management technology, and the specialized skills we developed in the Internet antivirus market, to create our GateLock broadband solution.
In the past, we had great success with on-line virus scanning delivered through HiNet to its subscribers, Chang continued. Now we’re thrilled to be working with Taiwan’s telecommunications giant Chunghwa again – a great beginning for Trend Micro in the 21st century.
Chunghwa Telecom CEO Mao Chi-hua pointed out, Always-on broadband service offers speedy, convenient Internet access for our customers, but it also brings greater potential risk. Strong security is essential in the broadband environment. Thanks to this alliance with Trend Micro, we can offer our customers a solution, not just a warning. We’re proud to be the first access provider anywhere in the world to offer this comprehensive broadband security package with our ADSL service.
