14 DAY TRIAL // This month, with the publishing of the "Forrester Wave: SSL VPN Appliances, Q4 2006" research, the Redmond Company has been, for the first time, elevated to the rank of leader on the SSL VPN market. Microsoft's leader position on the secure sockets layer virtual private networking market is synonymous with the company's debut in the Forrester's report.
"Microsoft has moved quickly and efficiently into the SSL VPN appliance market with its acquisition of Whale Communications, now a wholly owned subsidiary. Whale's Intelligent Application Gateway places Microsoft among the top SSL VPN vendors and provides a critical component for enhancing its Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server. The result should not only be a heavyweight contender for enterprise remote access, but an ideal architecture for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) as well. Microsoft's SSL VPN crown jewel is its intelligent Application Optimizer templates for deploying large applications, which will save hours of complex configuration for IT administrators", the report noted.
In the "Forrester Wave: SSL VPN Appliances, Q4 2006," the Redmond Company is credited with a score of 4.70 out of a possible 5.0, in relation to its product strategy. Microsoft's SSL VPN products achieved the score based on the evaluation of an array of delivered aspects: security support, manageability and usability, and monitoring and reporting features. The Intelligent Application Gateway (IAG) and Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server were at the center stage of the Forrester research.
"IT professionals today must balance the need for secure access by a growing mobile work force with protecting applications and network infrastructure. We're committed to providing a comprehensive platform that meets both of these needs cost-effectively," commented Margaret Arakawa, senior director of the Security and Access Product Group at Microsoft. "With ISA Server and the IAG products, we are able to provide greater value in the areas of security, ease of use and application optimization, and we'll continue working with our partners to bring innovative and flexible solutions to our customers."