ABSTRACT
VPN technology has rapidly improved in recent years in the areas of performance, ease of use, deployment, and management tool effectiveness. The market demand for virtual private network (VPN) technology is also rapidly growing. Similarly, the number of different VPN products is increasing. The promise of cost savings is being met. However, there is a new promise that approaches VPNs from both a technical and business perspective. In today’s fast-paced business environment, the promises of ease of management, deployability, and scalability of VPN systems are the critical success factors when it comes to selecting and implementing the right VPN system. From a business perspective, the realized benefits include:
• Competitive advantage due to closer relationships with business partners and customers • New channels of service delivery • Reaching new markets with less cost • Offering higher-value information with removal of security concerns that have
hampered this effort in the past
With so many choices, how does one determine the best fit? Objective criteria are needed to make a fair assessment of vendor product claims. What should one look for when evaluating a vendor’s performance claims? What else can add value to VPN systems? In some cases, outsourcing to a managed security service provider is an option. Managed security service providers are service outsourcers that typically host security applications and offer transaction-based use of the hosted security application. Many businesses are now seriously considering outsourcing VPNs to managed security service providers that can provide deployment and management. The perception is that managed service providers have the expertise and management infrastructure to operate large-scale VPNs better than in-house staff.
