I got a call this morning from a rep at Avanquest Software, alerting me to the fact that the company is offering free consumer downloads of its new wireless networking tool for laptop users, Connection Manager. (The software has a retail value of $29.95.)
Connection Manager is designed for anyone living the "mobile lifestyle" with a laptop in tow. Its function is to provide users with quick, secure Internet/network access regardless of the connectivity method being used.
"Connection Manager automatically identifies and stores necessary network and security parameters for virtually every type of publicly used connection standard, including standard Ethernet, WiFi, ADSL and WiMAX," the company said in a July 22 announcement.
The software stores preferred network and security settings for every type of connection method and application being used (e.g. e-mail client, printer, shared disk drive), enabling laptop users to "seamlessly transition from one network to the next without having to adjust settings or deal with annoying error messages." It achieves this feat by working with existing firewalls and security apps to "guarantee optimal protection levels for the chosen network environment."
Connection Manager Screenshot
Connection Manager is compatible with current WPA encryption protocols and 64/128-bit WEP.
While the software is marketed toward business users, it seems to me that anyone concerned about security (and everyone should be) would do well to check out Connection Manager.
Ryan Smith, director of product marketing at Avanquest Publishing USA, summed up that thought well: "Whether novice users or power users, everyone can appreciate Connection Manger's automatic handling of tedious Internet connection configurations, letting anyone just simply turn on their laptop and start surfing the Web."
I would only add the word "secure" to Smith's statement.
To see Connection Manager in action, you can check out two YouTube videos. The first is amusing, the second is more standard fare for a product promotion.
