Application-Specific SSL VPNs

Some organizations, especially smaller firms, may have business requirements to implement remote access to only a single application, and may not require the robustness of a full SSL VPN platform. Under such circumstances, the cost of implementing a true SSL VPN may be prohibitive and an ROI-analysis may reveal that purchasing an SSL VPN may be unwise.

To address such situations, several SSL VPN vendors offer low-end SSL VPNs that support only one or two applications. Such products typically sell for far less than full-version SSL VPN appliances, and can often be upgraded to full SSL VPN functionality at a later date if the customer so desires. It is likely that additional SSL VPN vendors will begin to offer such solutions and that the vendors already marketing such products will continue to offer specialized appliances for additional applications.