Johannesburg, 08 May 2012
VPN (virtual private network) technology, which has been around for more than a decade, is entering a new boom phase on the back of the rapid uptake of mobile, remote and cloud computing services by organisations of all sizes.
So says Andre Joubert, GM of MWEB Business, who adds that ADSL VPNs have long found favour among businesses with multiple branches by acting as cost-effective and secure branch connectors. With the advent of uncapped ADSL, VPNs are now uncapped branch connectors.
"With an ADSL VPN, organisations can establish a secure, encrypted channel through which data can be safely transferred between all locations across the Internet," he explains.
VPNs also enable crucial business applications such as accounting systems that are designed for use purely in a private network to be used across the public Internet.
However, it`s the growing need for efficiency and the growing trend towards employee mobility, including the need for employees to access corporate data from anywhere and anytime, that will result in the unprecedented demand for VPNs.
"Accessing the corporate database from a public hotspot can be dangerous. In order for employees to gain secure access to servers on the company`s network from home (with its wireless router), airport lounges, customers` offices, hotels or coffee shops anywhere in the world, a VPN is essential," Joubert says.
"Similarly, as enterprise systems are increasingly hosted on remote cloud servers, and employees work from software as a service applications, network security will become much more difficult. A VPN considerably reduces security concerns."
He points out that a VPN client must be installed on all the devices used by employees to access the internal network - desktops, notebooks and mobile devices - to avoid security breaches.
There are three important issues surrounding VPNs that every business should consider before installation:
1. Is the VPN connectivity agnostic? Can it run over ADSL, WiFi, leased line and fibre?
2. Is it available throughout South Africa?
3. How well will it perform from a network layer perspective (bearing in mind that the speed of the connection itself will affect the VPN`s performance)?
"However, there`s no need for a business to find itself bogged down in comparing the merits of different types of VPNs - MPLS and SSL, for example. An experienced solution provider such as MWEB Business will be equipped to choose the best solution for the business` specific circumstances," he concludes.
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