Virtually Ubiquitous

A new Forrester Research study shows that the Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are literally almost everywhere. With the overwhelming majority of companies either implementing new and upgrading existing VPNs this year, VPNs are at the top of the project list for most IT managers. One of the biggest benefits VPNs promise is added flexibility so it is no surprise that demand for browser-based SSL VPNs that have the potential to allow end users to connect from non-corporate computers are taking off in a big way.Though the technology is still relatively new on the scene, Forrester says 39% of the survey respondents have either started or already finished an SSL implementation. The firm forecasts significant growth for the technology in the coming year. And why not? The clientless nature of SSL VPNs opens up entirely new possibilities for enterprise applications of the technology.

And some headaches for IT, of course. For SSL -- or any type of VPN to work effectively and securely for the business -- IT needs to have a good handle on policy administration. Thankfully, the vendors are doing their part with some excellent feature sets to help IT maintain network control, no matter where users are connecting from and what device they are using.