At the outset, the minimum UTM requirement was a network firewall, network intrusion detection and prevention functionality, and gateway antivirus (AV). Amaranten’s latest product offers this functionality together with VPN capabilities, traffic shaping functionality and content filtering, all at multi-gigabit capacity. We call it xUTM.

Customer demand for appliances, as opposed to software is driven by the increasing requirement for plug & play convenience, ease of installation, and centralized management that appliances deliver. Appliances are typically easier to deploy than software solutions, since they include pre-integrated hardware and software components. They are also generally very reliable and can handle large traffic volumes. Most can also be easily scaled by adding additional appliances to an existing deployment. When a box fails, it is easier to swap it out than troubleshoot. This process gets the node back online quicker, and it can also be done by non-technical staff. This is especially important for remote offices or SMEs without dedicated technical staff onsite.