SonicWall powers up
nwfusion.com
By Tim Greene
Network World VPNs Newsletter, 12/12/01
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SonicWall is increasing the processing power of its VPN hardware at no extra charge, and in some cases the more powerful gear could cost less than its predecessor.
This is not the first time SonicWall has done this. About the same time last year the company upgraded the processors it builds into its VPN gateways, also without increasing prices.
Now the company is installing custom processors that will boost the VPN throughput of its low-end SOHO3 box to 20M bit/sec. Now that’s more speed than a SOHO office needs, but it is a byproduct of using the same powerful processor throughout its product line, all the way up to the PRO 300. And it never hurts to have more power than you need if it doesn’t drive up the price.
This is an encouraging sign. Lower prices for VPN gear only makes it more attractive and makes VPNs more accessible to more people. Those who are considering setting up VPNs can do so with some confidence that the industry will follow Moore’s law, which says that processing power continues to increase and prices continue to drop.
While announcing these performance gains, SonicWall also said it has plans to quickly make some of the RedCreek gear that it bought recently manageable by SonicWall’s management platform. Initially, this will include only gear that doesn’t overlap with SonicWall’s products, but could expand. The company is also offering more services that help users set up their VPNs.
Both of these developments should help the company as it tries to woo more enterprise customers. Part of the reason SonicWall bought RedCreek was for its customer list.
Clearly SonicWall is trying to evolve from a small-business VPN specialist to an enterprise-class VPN vendor, so you should note that when compiling a list of vendors to consider.
Tim Greene is a senior editor at Network World, covering virtual private networking gear, remote access, core switching and local phone companies. You can reach him at tgreene@nww.com. |
