Juniper pushes SSL into middle market

Juniper Networks today launched its first VPN appliance that includes Secure Sockets Layer specifically for the medium business market.

The NetScreen Remote Access 500 series, which carries a list price of $4000, is built on Juniper’s Instant Virtual Extranet (IVE) platform and is targeting companies that have remote employees needing to access corporate networks in a secure environment. Perhaps just as important—and part of the nature of running SSL-based transport instead of legacy VPN technology--is that employees can access those resources without installing any client software. Among the company’s target distribution partners are carriers.

"It represents an evolution to more of the mainstream," said Chris Boni, product manager for Juniper. "This isn’t just for early adopters anymore."

However, not every business is able to justify the cost of installing such a system for remote access, Boni added.

"What we found from the partners we’ve talked to is that functionality is useful for larger and medium enterprise but that smaller ones are not quite there yet," he said.