Aventail Scales Down SSL VPNs

Here comes the SSL-VPN Mini Me.

Today, Aventail Corp. took the wraps off its new EX-750 device, a miniature version of its EX-1500 box (see Aventail Unveils Latest SSL VPN ), as equipment vendors in the Secure Sockets Layer Virtual Private Network (SSL VPN) market move to scaled-down products to attack the small and medium-sized business (SMB) market.

SSL VPNs are an ideal technology for smaller firms and remote offices because they enable secure access to corporate networks from virtually any Web browser, on any device, anywhere. But because many small firms don't want to pay for the giant firepower of existing boxes, equipment vendors are launching smaller versions.

According to Aventail, the EX-750 supports up to 50 concurrent users, compared to the EX-1500, which is aimed at up to 1,000 users. The other major difference with the EX-1500 is size -- both are 1U devices, but the EX-750 has a smaller form-factor.

There are no independent testing figures available for the EX-750, although the EX-1500 distinguished itself in Light Readings test of SSL VPN gateways, rating highest for its range of configuration options. The test found that the EX-1500 can support 1,195 users at any given time, which is even more than Aventail’s own figures (see SSL VPNs: Access Anywhere, Anytime ).Aventail has emphasized simplicity and ease of use in its products, but competitors are gathering in this growing market (see Aventail Cleans Up Leftovers and The Lowdown on SSL VPNs ). Analysts see the SSL VPN players crafting smaller products in an effort to expand the market and sustain growth.

Mark Bouchard, senior program director at analyst firm Meta Group Inc.,says Aventail’s new product is a step in the right direction. “You are getting, for a moderate price tag, the set of features that you would get on a higher platform,” he says of the EX-750.

This includes a software feature called Secure Desktop, which encrypts information that is downloaded from remote laptops or "untrusted' systems, such as kiosks at a tradeshow. Secure Desktop can also erase all the information that has been downloaded to remote devices, in accordance with Department of Defense specifications.

“Secure Desktop is a very strong feature,” says Bouchard. "What SSL VPN customers are asking for is more client security features, and this is a very advanced version of that."

Initial user response to the new box has been positive. Raj Saxena, IT director at pharmaceutical firm ARYx Therapeutics. deployed an EX-1500 more than a year ago and has been testing the EX-750 for the last month and a half. According to Saxena, the EX-1500 is a much larger box than the company actually needs.”The [EX-1500] is overkill for what we need right now. The functionality [on the EX-750] is essentially the same,” he says. "We’re probably going to deploy it in one of our remote offices."

However, Aventail is not the only vendor targeting the SMB space at the moment. Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) already offers its VPN 3005 concentrator, which can also support up to 50 users, although this is aimed at larger businesses. And the company is currently planning to add SSL functionality to its family of routers using the IOS operating system.

Rival Juniper Networks Inc.'s (Nasdaq: JNPR) $4 billion acquisition of NetScreen Technologies earlier this year gave that company a new route to the SMB market (see Juniper Buys NetScreen).

As part of the acquisition, Juniper inherited NetScreen’s SA 1000 Series product, which is targeted at SMBs. However, so far, the company has stayed tight-lipped on its roadmap for the combined Juniper/Netscreen product line.

But are these products small enough? Bouchard warns that in the future, users will be looking for even smaller products and licensing deals than those currently available. ”Fifty concurrent users is going to be a lot for some organizations -- there’s an opportunity for a smaller license,” he says.“Would a company with 200 employees really need a $7,000 SSL VPN that’s capable of handling twice as much as they need?"

Pricing for the EX-750 starts at $6,995, compared to $9,495 for the EX-1500.

— James Rogers, Site Editor, Next-gen Data Center Forum