Consolidated devices: When it’s time to use them

When does it make sense to use consolidated devices?

Branch Office Best Practices Newsletter By Robin Gareiss, Network World, 03/21/06

The options are broadening for all-in-one devices for the branch office. But the question is not so much whether to use these tools - it’s whose tools to use and when?

Related links

Robin Gareiss is executive vice president and senior founding partner for Nemertes Research, where she develops and manages research projects and cost models, conducts strategic seminars, and advises key clients. She currently serves as CFO, as well. Contact her.

New attack fells Internet Explorer
11/22/09
A hacker has posted attack code that could be used to break into a PC running older versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.

Google Chrome OS on the PC World Podcast
11/21/09
In this week's special (and slightly long) episode of the PC World podcast, editors Robert Strohmeyer, Tim Moynihan, Melissa Perenson, and Nick Mediati discuss the just-announced Google Chrome OS.

LG NAS Adds Blu-ray Drive
11/21/09
LG's N4B1 NAS box is neither a comprehensive media server nor a particularly fast performer, but as a network-attached storage device, it's quick enough for home/small-business file serving. The unit--available at this writing for around $700--is also the sturdiest and quite possibly the best-looking such box I've had my hands on. You also can't beat it's HTML configuration interface for looks or ease of learning and use. But none of that compares to the N4B1's most outstanding feature: an integrated Blu-ray burner, unique among NAS products in the SMB/SOHO market.

This week, Nortel will make its secure router product line available (based on technology from the Tasman acquisition). Last month, NetDevices started selling its services gateway for small branch offices, and Juniper announced its unified threat management devices.

The Benefits of Virtualization: Why It's Time for IT to Move Now: Download now

Vendors are rightfully focusing on creating, enhancing, and sizing consolidated devices for branch offices. As we speak to IT executives, we see many shifting their focus from the data center to the branch office. Their data center consolidation projects are well underway or winding down, and now they need to focus on how to deliver predictable application and network performance to branch office employees.

Back to the questions at hand: When does it make sense to use consolidated devices? For any new location, it’s a no-brainer. Like newer technologies such as VoIP, the business case is compelling. Rather than installing a separate firewall, router, switch, network optimization device, and VPN, companies can save on hardware, as well as the operational costs for installation and ongoing management.

NetDevice’s SG-4, for example, performs firewall, IDS/IPS, VPN, switching, and routing functions for a list price of about $8,000. When totaled as point products, capital costs could be $10,000 or more, depending on brands or models. Separately, each point product would take about four to six hours to install - that's two to three times longer than it would take to install a consolidated device. It doesn’t take long to see the value.

Click Here

Sign up for the Video & Podcast Alert Newsletter

Does Verizon's Voyager stack up to the iPhone?
Keith checks out the Verizon Wireless Voyager multimedia phone, and compares it to Apple's iPhone. Watch now