It appears that there are big things happening in the secure socket layer (SSL) virtual private network (VPN) field. This news comes on the back of the recent purchase of the UK-based software developer 3SP by Barracuda Networks in August, which is now claiming that it will unlock the market for SME resellers through the integration of its software into an appliance.
There has long been demand for a more affordable SSL VPN solution, and Barracuda is aiming to answer this demand. Up until this point, cost was a major determining factor in preventing SSL VPN from being adopted more widely, and the company has its sights set on changing that altogether.
The price of the new appliance will start at £1,250, with Paul Thackeray, the vice president of EMEA for Barracuda, stating that “partners have been asking us to get a product in that price range for the past 12 months”. And now it appears that they can finally do it, so champagne corks will probably be popping at Barracuda HQ well into the night.
But Barracuda has even greater plans in mind, and it has recently stated that it plans to approach all 700 EMEA partners of 3SP, including the mighty Fujitsu Services, with this new technology, and will hope to get a favorable response. Thackeray stated that the company wants to “bring them into the Barracuda fold” by offering them nine products to sell instead of one.
The aim is to get the products available to a wider customer base and not just high-end customers, according to Mukesh Gupta, managing director at Barracuda distributor e92plus.
In order that SMEs can take advantage of the technology, it has long been the goal of Barracuda to introduce a more affordable price. And now that they have reached this price, it is also hoped that it will be as easy to deploy as the other Barracuda products.
