Appliance Deployment Featured Article

MBX Systems, a provider of server appliance deployment, is expanding its purpose-built hardware appliance manufacturing services to offer platforms designed for Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification.

MBX's new FIPS-ready hardware platforms allow enterprise software vendors to contract with MBX to bundle their applications on customized appliances that provide the cryptographic protections required for sale to U.S. government departments, healthcare organizations, financial institutions and customers in other regulated industries, according to a press release.

MBX's new FIPS-ready appliance deployment solutions are available in 1U and 2U form factors. The release states that these deployment solutions feature hardware components designed to address FIPS requirements for cryptographic modules; special chassis features that conceal sensitive parts of the system and detect attempted tampering and component lifecycle management services that help reduce the frequency of FIPS recertification.

The new FIPS-ready appliance deployment system provides a reliable alternative to delivering applications loaded onto general-purpose servers. MBX -built appliances are delivered pre-loaded with the relevant software, eliminating the need for software configuration. In addition, the appliances provide a consistent hardware platform tailored to the software vendor's specifications.

An MBX compliance engineer will assist in the process of building the appliance, as they are initially delivered in prototype form for FIPS certification. The company also offers hardware specification assistance, custom branding and full integration services including software imaging and delivery logistics.

A customizable customer portal provides real-time data on all aspects of the customer's deployment, as well as a variety of other services that relieve software vendors of hardware management responsibilities.

Back in May, MBX announced that Tom Crowley, founder and CEO of server appliance manufacturer MBX Systems, has been named a finalist in the Executive of the Year/Computer Hardware category of the Stevie Awards' 2011 American Business Awards.