* Sales are on the up for multi-function security devices that support VPNs
Anyone staying on top of how VPN gear is evolving won’t be surprised by the results of a market study by Synergy Research, which found that multi-function security devices that also support VPNs are gaining in popularity.
In fact, according to the study, sales of this category of devices, which at a minimum include VPN and a firewall, were up 45% over last year.
This makes sense since much of the news about VPN appliances over the past year or so has been about adding security functionality – anti-virus, content filtering, intrusion detection – to pure gateway devices, either via in-house technology or partnerships.
The result has been an understandable dip in the sales of dedicated VPN boxes. According to the Synergy study, sales of these devices were down 36% from last year.
SSL remote access gear, an alternative to IPSec VPNs, seem to have caught on, showing a 184% jump over last year’s sales, according to the study. These devices are becoming more mature and fully featured, encouraging buyers. Also, major networking vendors have acquired key SSL start-ups to include the technology in their portfolios. These vendors, with their stables of large customers and sophisticated sales forces are able to move more of the equipment than a start-up could ever hope to.
Interestingly, one start-up dedicated solely to SSL remote access, Whale Communications, landed the No. 4 spot among the vendors with top sales worldwide last year. Aventail, which has been in the game longer, was No. 3, F5, which has a more extensive range of security gear, was No. 2 and Juniper, with a broad range of networking equipment was No. 1.
Don’t write in here seeking more free information about this study because Synergy sells the information. Anyone considering paying for more info can check out http://www.srgresearch.com
