While enterprises acknowledge the critical role that the Internet and IP VPNs can play in their strategic eBusiness initiatives, they face a range of choices for implementing their VPNs. The options range from enterprise-based or do-it-yourself VPNs that are fully built, owned, and operated by the enterprise to VPNs that are fully outsourced to a carrier or other partner. In the near term, enterprise-operated and managed VPN services are expected to hover around a 50/50 split, including hybrid approaches.

Increasingly, enterprises are assessing their VPN implementation options across a spectrum of enterprise-based, carrier-based/outsourced, or hybrid models. Each approach offers a unique business advantage.

• Enterprise based

  This option operates over a public network facility, most commonly, the Internet, using equipment that is owned and operated by the enterprise. The benefit of the enterprise-based option is the degree of flexibility and control this option offers over VPN deployment, administration, and adaptability or change.

• Fully outsourced

  This managed service can be implemented by a collection of partners, including an ISP and a security integration partner. The advantages of the fully outsourced option include quick deployment, easy global scalability, and freedom from overhead Network Management.

• Shared management

  With this hybrid approach, a partner can take responsibility for major elements of infrastructure deployment and management, but the enterprise retains control over key aspects of policy definition and security management.