Much like any hardware-based technology, delivery and installation is never instant so admins should account for lengthy implementation cycles to get An圜onnect configured. IT leaders should also ensure they have robust upgrading strategies, as future proofing these products will require additional investment as updates are introduced and hardware begins to age. That does mean pricing can become more complicated with additional costs for backup, load balancing, administration, maintenance and capacity planning. Like many legacy Cisco products, it requires purpose-built hardware and is often bundled with other appliances, such as those used for firewall products. ArchitectureĪn圜onnect offers a desktop client ( SSL or IPSec), a clientless portal, and a solution for mobile phones and tablets. Here’s a quick overview of Cisco An圜onnect and factors you should consider when implementing or expanding your use of VPNs.

Richard Hicks, VPN and network technology expert Designed in an era when remote access was primarily done on smaller scales in fixed environments, it is well suited to a vast number of organizations that have simple, hardware-based VPN requirements – but it’s not a good fit for everyone. A large number of organizations may also rely on solutions offered by Cisco, meaning its An圜onnect remote access product might be an obvious choice.Ĭisco An圜onnect is a popular VPN that co-exists effectively with other Cisco products. IT leaders may look to some of the biggest names in the VPN space, such as Palo Alto Global Protect, Pulse Secure or Microsoft’s Direct Access. What has changed is the emerging consensus that tunneling all traffic back to your corporate network is less desirable than employing a VPN that is there when you need it, and absent when you don’t. Events in 2020 have demonstrated that most companies are simply not ready to move away from using VPNs – they’re going to be around for a long time yet. Originally designed as a way to access on-site resources from elsewhere in a secure way, today the demands of modern working are far greater than this simple functionality. Cisco is a powerhouse in network technology, but how does its An圜onnect VPN product stack up to today’s remote working demands?ĭespite first being introduced as technologies more than two decades ago, the humble VPN has continued to be a prominent part of almost every single organization’s remote working backbone.

Cisco anyconnect configuration