The result for the end user is a product that arrives at the right price, offering the right performance in the right package – and it integrates with existing infrastructure as a PC server – manageability comes as standard and rights-based multi-user access is a snap.

Server virtualization adds further to the flexibility – allowing multiple applications that would otherwise have independent systems to run concurrently on one system – reducing capital investment, space, and complexity. A system implemented primarily for compliance can also generate an ROI for the network manager by offering useful network monitoring functions on the same box. With virtualization, these are in logically separate and secure operating system environments.


Finally, let us not forget open source software! Many popular network security applications (Network intrusion detection systems as an example) are often benchmarked against open source software. If open source sets the baseline – why not *use* the open source tools in implementations. The open source community has delivered some leading applications in their categories, such as Wireshark and Snort. These applications are constantly developed to meet emerging needs. Performance can be scaled by adding more CPU’s making multi-gigabit applications a reality and allowing everyone to realize the benefits – from the enterprise LAN to the service provider core.