Sun taps i-Planet for security

Sun Microsystems will soon announce the purchase of remote access specialist i-Planet, according to sources close to the deal.

The Sunnyvale, California-based start-up has built a remote access hardware and software system that allows users to connect to private corporate information securely from anywhere, utilizing homespun technology.

Sun plans to incorporate some of i-Planet's technology, which provides secure connections for users through Web browsers, into a new Web-based product dubbed "sun.net"--to be announced next month, sources said.

i-Planet and Sun declined to comment on the existence of the deal. Announcement of the acquisition is scheduled to coincide with the upcoming Internet World trade show in New York during the first week of October, according to sources.

Terms of the deal were not available.

i-Planet has three product lines: RemotePassage, PonyExpresso, and IPS.

David Vereeke, an i-Planet cofounder and president, was previously a director of engineering at Sun, where he focused on both local and wide area interfaces and devices for remote office connections, among other responsibilities. The start-up was founded in January 1996.