PRODUCT EVALUATION: Internet @ppliance Industry Report

Internet @ppliance Industry Report:
A Guide to Technology,
Products, and Deployment

Summary, Recommendations and Conclusions

Internet appliances offer simplicity for both end users and administrators, and can be more cost-effective than traditional NT or UNIX servers. As we've seen, there are a wide variety of Internet appliances available today, ranging from simple networked file appliances to combination web/application/security appliances. Just as no two appliances are exactly the same, each user environment is different, presenting unique requirements and challenges. To capitalize on the advantages offered by appliances, you must choose the product which best fits your needs.

The first step in product selection is to understand your own requirements. Review the scenarios presented in this Report and select the one which most closely represents your own situation. Use our "Needs" table to identify the appliance categories that are relevant to you, and review our category descriptions to understand the services you should look for when selecting an appliance.

For example, if you're a small business, you're in the market for a communications appliance, network security, and Internet applications like email. You probably need dial-out services with NAT so that your PCs can share a single connection to the Internet. You need dial-in access services if you want to permit outside access to your network -- to put up an public web site, for example. Because dial-in requires more attention to security, you'll need also want features that prevent outside access to your private network resources.

Next, user our "Products" matrix to identify the appliances that support the categories and services that are relevant to you. Perform a web search to obtain product information and "spec sheets" so that you can compare your own requirements to what each appliance has to offer. And read our product reviews -- we've already done the homework for you on these appliances.

For example, if you're a small business, consider combining the FlowPoint or WebRamp for secure Internet access with the NetWinder, Qube, or eServer. If you want to sell products on the web, check out the e.go Commerce. Having trouble picking a communications appliance? Smaller offices may find 56K or ISDN modems simple and sufficient, while larger networks may prefer investing in the higher bandwidth and constant access afforded by SDSL. If you allow dial-in, consider the FreeGate or pairing a firewall appliance like the InstaGate or SES 1500 with your communication appliance.

Narrow your list down to a few top candidates and contact those appliance vendors for further information and a demonstration. We've provided URLs for all vendors mentioned in this Report, and full contact information for products we reviewed. Use the questions we address in our product reviews as a guide to evaluating your own list of products. Ask how the appliance is installed, configured, and maintained. Look at screens and menus to get a feel for supported services and inherent limitations. Ask for performance data if you plan to use the appliance in a production network: how many users can a communications appliance support, how much storage does a web appliance provide? And don't forget extensibility. Plan to purchase an appliance that will grow to meet your future needs.

Finally, calculate your initial and recurring cost of ownership. For communications appliances, consider fees associated with special kinds of access lines (ISDN, DSL, cable), or an extra dedicated telephone line. For eCommerce appliances, add in the cost of digital certificates, an electronic payment service, and merchant bank account. Factor in ISP charges for Internet services like access, email, domain name services, and web hosting. In most cases, you'll find that your total cost of appliance ownership is less than other, more complex alternatives.

Appliances represent a new and rapidly growing market, born from the success of the web and the Internet. They help individuals, small businesses, and larger enterprises "get connected" in a simple and cost-effective manner. We hope this Report provides a foothold in this heretofore uncharted territory, and guides your way through Internet Appliance product selection.

No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.