Via its Federal Systems Division in Reston, Virginia, ICL Plc and Hughes Aircraft Co’s Hughes STX systems integration subsidiary plan jointly to develop secure networking systems and software for the commercial enterprise-wide open systems market where an integrated complex of machines may support thousands of terminals, the two companies announced yesterday. Addressing the problem that the sheer size of the networks make them almost impossible to manage – especially with large numbers of remote dial-up users, Hughes and ICL, which have previously designed and built huge computer and communications networks for defence and government use, have committed their organisations to co-developing and marketing commercial versions of these security systems that will encompass all of the disparate pieces of an enterprise network. The pair say that as well as addressing security, they want to offer systems that address the problems that systems are being underused, information isn’t easily disseminated or made available to everyone who needs it, and tracking enterprise activity is a distant dream, with the goal being seamless transparent user access to all authorised resources in the typically applications-intensive enterprise-wide network. To kick off with, ICL is making all of its existing secure systems technology available to Hughes STX, starting with Access Manager, the secure network password software, running on DRS 6000 Sparc systems. Access Manager solves the problem of Single Log On by requiring the user only to log on to the network once. ICL will also contribute technology developed under the auspices of UKP275m Corporate Headquarters Office Technology B1-secure office automation-under-Unix contract for the UK Ministry of Defence to the effort, and use Hughes STX as a gateway to lucrative US government and defence contracts. Hughes will be bringing its Security Profiles, Penetration Analysis and Tempest equipment to the party: its new Stealth masking devices make computers invisible to electromagnetic eavesdropping. Hughes and ICL say they will make an extensive commitment to bring similar technology to commercial customers sensitive to the integrity of their information. Products developed under the agreement will be marketed by both companies. ICL and the General Motors Corp company hope to be doing $100m annually within four years in security as a result of the agreement.
