Plug-And-Play VPN

Dubbed SnapVPN, the appliance is slated to ship to channel partners in mid-May. And some of the solution providers that beta-tested the device are eagerly awaiting its release.

"You take it out of the box, it's preconfigured, you plug it in and away you go," said Ron Caroff, founder and president of security reseller Max Power, North Woodmere, N.Y. "I don't think I could have dreamed up a more marketable device."

Designed to be user-friendly to appeal to small and midsize businesses, SnapVPN builds on some of the standard functionality of ClearPath's flagship iNOC device. SnapVPN sits inside a corporate firewall and permits SSL-encrypted tunnels straight to the network core.

Once customers plug the device into their networks, SnapVPN automatically queries ClearPath servers for antivirus updates and constantly monitors the network for intrusions or attacks.

That approach allows solution providers to blend the convenience of an appliance with the benefits of a managed service, said Cliff Young, CEO of El Segundo, Calif.-based ClearPath.

"It's a great enabler for solution providers who haven't had the ability to afford infrastructure to provide resource management applications to their customers," Young said. "With this tool, a solution provider can deliver managed and WAN environments as one product for their customers at a fixed cost per month."

The SnapVPN appliances range from $595 to $895, depending on the model, while the service starts at $49 per user, per month, the company said.

Eric Daversa, sales director at Skyriver Communication, a ClearPath partner in San Diego, said he's looking forward to offering his customers something that's robust and easy to use. "The [ClearPath] solution is turnkey, worry-free and makes me look good every time I guide customers to it."