Clement has done a lot of research to find the right Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution for the Bradley Foundation. He has narrowed the search to four products/vendors that meet the Foundation's needs. They are the Cisco PIX 515E, Netscreen 50, SonicWall PRO 4060, and Watchguard Firebox X2500; all are ICSA certified. An industry publication that rates network products, Network World Fusion, rated Cisco #1, calling them "world class" with a score of 4.7 out of 5. Netscreen was rated 3.9, and SonicWall 3.3. The features and prices of VPN appliances vary widely, but those Clement selected because they meet the Foundation's needs are all similarly priced, the greatest difference being less than $700.

Our recommendation is to proceed with the Cisco PIX 515E system. This solution is comprised of a firewall VPN appliance that connects our Internet router to our network servers, and software for the client machines (mobile or home users). The device will have a static IP address, that, when contacted over the Internet, will allow access based on authentication of a user name and password pair.

The Cisco PIX 515E would be configured as the network's firewall, which would actually increase the security of our entire network. If for any reason the firewall is not active, all VPN connections would automatically be blocked, providing excellent protection of our network. Should the firewall fail, our current firewall would still be in place to protect the network and we could continue using all other aspects of the network, including email and other Internet features.

While all four vendors offer good solutions to securely accessing a remote server, Cisco has additional reporting features that, among other things, allows monitoring of access to the device. The client portion off-premise appears to be easy to update as internal changes occur on our network. Policies can easily be set according to each user's needs; some vendors have only one policy for all connections. Unlimited client licenses are included, and simultaneous connections are more than adequate for our needs. In addition, Compuware has a Cisco expert on staff who is available to assist Clement, should he need help with installation.

The cost for the PIX 515E (hardware and software) is $5,343.28, plus shipping. Clement worked with our vendor to have the cost discounted to this price. The remaining question is which annual support package to purchase: 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for $612.58; or 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for $980.65? For an additional $2,161.62, we have the option of purchasing a Failover Bundle, which is another device that would automatically take over in the event the first device failed for any reason. We do not recommend adding this second appliance if we purchase a support package.

Please let me know if you need further information, or if we may proceed with ordering the Cisco PIX 515E with a support package.