A secure link is one of two critical features for people looking to use the Internet to access their corporate networks while they are staying in their hotel -- the other is fast communications. With IPSEC compliance and speeds of up to 50 times that of a typical modem, IPORT has both. All of the current 8,500-plus hotel rooms that have the IPORT Internet Access service for guests will be upgraded to support the IPSEC standard with IPORT version 3.0, scheduled for launch in June.

Business travelers connect to their corporate systems over the Internet using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Growth in business travel, and an increasing need for remote access to corporate data, are expected to drive a surge in adoption of VPNs. Infonetics Research predicts that the total VPN market will exceed $1.9 billion by 2002, compared with only $200 million today. This demand has led to the adoption of VPN technology in major business software applications such as Microsoft Windows 2000.

Remote users do not need to reconfigure their machines or load any additional software to access their corporate networks; they simply plug their Ethernet cards into the IPORT system to connect to the Internet at T-1 speeds. Online charges are then posted to their room bill automatically. The link to the corporate network is transparent to the user and handled by their computer's operating system (a simple VPN client -- such as the one included in Windows 2000 -- establishes an encrypted connection to safely access email and confidential files).

"What really interests business travelers is the ability to use the Internet to access all their corporate information as if they were at their own desk," said Tom Caldwell, vice president of engineering for ATCOM/INFO.

"IPSEC-compliant IPORT allows hotels to offer this critical service to business travelers while guaranteeing them -- and their corporate management -- peace of mind with the industry's security standard. In fact, without IPSEC support, corporate MIS managers shouldn't even consider giving remote users access to their corporate LANs.

"We've worked closely with our partners like Microsoft as new operating systems and VPN technologies emerge to ensure that IPORT and the underlying Windows platform components will continue to be the best investment for the hotel and hotel brand," added Caldwell.

The IPORT Internet software is the leading solution for hotels. Built on top of Microsoft BackOffice Server, the product offers a superior technology investment and the flexibility to evolve as new business applications are developed for the Internet. The IPORT Internet Access System is provided through a number of hotel solution providers like On Command Corp. for hotel guest room and meeting room Internet access across the globe.

ATCOM/INFO will demonstrate the VPN capability of the IPORT system at the Atlanta Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) in June.

About ATCOM/INFO

Based in San Diego, ATCOM/INFO is the leading provider of services and software for public high-speed Internet access. ATCOM/INFO Internet systems are targeted for use in public facilities and the hospitality market segment throughout the United States and the world, including airports, hotels, convention centers and other public areas.

ATCOM/INFO's mission is to provide superior software products and services for information delivery to users in public places. This includes pay-per-use public Internet ports (IPORT Internet Access System), kiosk management software and custom software solutions designed to meet specific customer needs. For more information on ATCOM/INFO, please call 619/699-4048, fax at 619/699-4040, or visit their Web site at www.atcominfo.com.