Demand for mobile and remote access to small- and midsized business (SMB) networks has increased dramatically. Even the most basic VPN technologies are so accessible and affordable that there is no good reason for failing to utilize them. That said, the real question for SMBs is which type of VPN to implement: Standard IPSec or SSL?

As reported by Practical Technology yesterday, Citrix has announced that it will be giving away XenServer (the hypervisor portion of their acquired Xen solution) for free. Very similar to the VMware model, they will continue to charge for management and advanced features as add-ons to the XenServer platform but the core virtualization technology will be available for free. Will this have any impact in their market share or their stake in the virtual data center? I’m skeptical for a number of reasons:

During several projects I noticed that for some reason the vCenter service would not start correctly. After a quick browse in “services.msc” and the eventlog I noticed that the vCenter service started before the SQL service ...

IBM and Juniper on Monday provided a sneak peek at technology that lets enterprise IT managers easily reallocate computing resources between a private and a public cloud.

A new appliance from Packet Design gives enterprises visibility into their service providers' MPLS networks. With MPLS WAN Explorer, companies can make sure that providers are delivering proper service levels and the right network architecture

A new appliance from Packet Design gives enterprises visibility into their service providers' MPLS networks. With MPLS WAN Explorer, companies can make sure that providers are delivering proper service levels and the right network architecture

Our network administration expert shows you which VLAN network management configuration and automation software supports multiple vendors and platforms, in this expert response.

Messaging and security vendor Kerio in March will release a Mac-based VPN client for its WinRoute Firewall.

The company released the beta of its new Mac VPN client for Kerio WinRoute Firewall at the annual MacWorld conference in San Francisco.

The company also said that the ActiveSynch for the iPhone technology it added to its Kerio MailServer, an alternative to Microsoft Exchange, has helped fuel sales among small-to-midsize businesses and new customers, including Tekserve, Shoot Digital, and Eleven.

Network choices have changed considerably since the days when private leased lines were the predominant option for business connectivity. The availability of MPLS services and Internet-based VPNs has enabled enterprises to acquire greater bandwidth at lower prices - but not without making sacrifices, says Silver Peak Systems' CEO Rick Tinsley.

Road warriors wirelessly connecting to the corporate network from hot spots at airports or coffee outlets. Just a few years ago, nightmare stories were common of even casual bystanders being able to eavesdrop on corporate communications made in such circumstances. As a result, there's a widespread acceptance that Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are pretty much de rigueur for wireless use on the road.