By gum, I've been in this business long enough to know not to offer solutions to customers based on marketing literature disguised as technical details (what they usually call "data sheets"). But this was as specific as can be, and I'd had more than a few good experiences with Cisco delivering what they promised was ready-to-go. Egg's on my face this time. Based on an unequivocal Cisco claim, I suggested several customers hold off acquiring a much-needed solution for secure Web-based access to email through iNotes on internal servers. How much longer Cisco will have it up there I don't know, but here's a Cisco URL describing the "capabilities" of their WebVPN (SSL proxy/ "VPN"), followed by the excerpt with the iNotes claim: [URL]http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns340/ns394/ns171/ns125/netbr09186a00801f0a72.html[/URL] "WebVPN is a feature introduced in VPN 3000 Series Concentrator software release 4.1, and provides clientless application access established from a SSL capable Web browser without requiring users to install any client software. Nor are there any additional feature licensing costs incurred. In addition, the VPN 3000 Series Concentrator offers both, its award-winning IPSec functionality as well as clientless SSL VPN capabilities on a single platform family. The combination of WebVPN and the robust client-based IPSec VPN solution of the VPN 3000 provides unparalleled deployment flexibility and ease of management for meeting the requirements of any remote access user population. Available applications include Web page access, Windows (CIFS) file shares (via Web interface), Email (SMTP, POP, IMAP, MAPI/Exchange, Outlook Web Access, Lotus Notes, and Lotus iNotes), as well as most TCP-based client-server applications." The above is verbatim, not a word or punctuation mark changed. Do you see what I see? "iNotes." Cisco's has been making that claim since November. Well, they finally released the 4.1 code for WebVPN, along with the 4.1 release notes. Based on Cisco's explicit claim, I advised customers who either already have Cisco VPN 3000-series concentrators or who were planning to get one for months to hold off on their evaluation, purchase, and implementation projects for secure Internet iNotes access. Now guess what I find in the Cisco release notes for the 4.1 code they made public a few weeks ago? Simply: "WebVPN Does Not Support Lotus iNotes and Microsoft Exchange. In this release, WebVPN does not support the Lotus iNotes and Microsoft Exchange (Outlook/Exchange Proxy) applications." GREAT. Thanks for the presentations and the data sheets and the like, Cisco. Thanks for the claims. Now I get to go to these customers, who at least up to now like me and trust my advice, and say, "Gee, they named the app, you figure they've done their testing. Heck of a claim to make if you haven't. I thought Cisco would be telling the truth on this one. Sorry for messing you up." So, OK, the morals: 1) Remember not to trust data sheets; don't fall off that wagon even for extra-specific claims. 2) Double the advice in #1 for Cisco. 3) If you happen to be one of the gajillion (iNotes is bigger than ya'll might realize) who needs secure Web-based access for iNotes and you were waiting for WebVPN based on Cisco's claims, now you know better. If I save even one other provider or customer and all that... NS