Microsoft Corp., today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Whale Communications Ltd., a provider of secure access products, including secure sockets layer (SSL) virtual private networks (VPN) and Web application firewalls.

Whale's solutions provide remote access, content inspection and access control, enabling businesses to protect corporate applications and data when accessed remotely by mobile workers, partners and customers. The acquisition will give Microsoft's customers a broader range of choices for providing secure access from more locations and devices, claims the company.

"We are committed to providing a comprehensive secure access platform that helps customers easily extend and manage the reach of their information systems. The acquisition of Whale's complementary technologies is a key part of meeting that commitment," said Ted Kummert, Corporate Vice President of the Security, Access and Solutions Division at Microsoft.

"We built our company and technologies around the key customer requirement of secure, anywhere, anytime remote access to business applications," said Roger Pilc, CEO of Whale Communications. "We're excited about what this acquisition will mean for our customers given Microsoft's focus on providing policy-based secure access to information assets from beyond the corporate network."