Remote workers can be divided into two groups:

1. Nomadic: Employees who log into a VPN from a fixed location, such as their home office, a hotel room or a coffee shop.
2. Mobile: Employees who log into a VPN and require connectivity as they move from their home office to a hotel room to a coffee shop.

With the continuing growth of the mobile workforce, new concerns and requirements have arisen. Although PPTP, IPSec and SSL VPNs have been sufficient in the past, they will not provide the service capability of a Mobile VPN for the truly mobile workforce.

Traditional VPN (PPTP, IPSec, SSL)

Each VPN option has its pros and cons, and selection very much depends on enterprise needs. Three things to consider when looking at traditional VPNs:

1. Suitability for nomadic use. Traditional VPNs do not support connection and application persistence. Every time the mobile device (e.g. laptop, handheld, etc.) moves to a different network or loses connectivity in spotty coverage areas, the end user has to reconnect and restart their application session.
2. Administrative overhead. Every VPN requires a certain amount of administration and customization, but PPTP and IPSec require setup on both the enterprise and client levels. Second to this is SSL; because SSL can give end users access to specific applications and services as opposed to full network access, permissions have to be maintained for each user and group. In addition, not all applications will work in an SSL VPN browser window.
3. Requirement for client software. Because SSL is clientless, the end user can be using an XP desktop in a library in Bangladesh, a Mac notebook at their home office in New York or using dial-up on Granny's Linux and they will have the same access. Zero-install means less work for IT. Given the diversity of devices out there, as long as there is browser capability, adding new devices should be less problematic. With PPTP, IPSec and Mobile VPN, each device needs a client installed in order to connect.

Mobile VPN is for Mobile Workers

While Mobile VPN can be very attractive, keep in mind that it serves a specific niche need. There is a distinct difference between remote workers and mobile workers. Remote workers may work from home and not move around a lot. Mobile workers are road warriors who need a connection on the go. For example, the cable guy needs to send and receive information in real-time. He has to submit his completed work order and receive his new work order on the fly. For this employee, Mobile VPN can improve the following:

• Service delivery. For the mobile workforce, a Mobile VPN can greatly improve service delivery. For example, if an insurance agent has real time access to a client's profile, they will be able to process claims for quicker turnaround.
• Productivity. By maintaining an almost constant connection, uptime and productivity increase considerably. This can also help employees who have a significant commute time and takes advantage of the ability to work in transit.

What Does Mobile VPN Offer?

• Connectivity persistence. End users can maintain a connection as they roam (from public to private to wireless networks, etc.) without having to log in repeatedly. A Mobile VPN will also search for the best connection available to optimize performance.
• Application persistence. Even though a Mobile VPN can switch from network to network to maintain connectivity, there are times when no connection is available. In the case of lost connectivity, the application is still maintained and when a new connection is found, the session continues as though nothing happened. The session will persist through fast (milliseconds of disconnection) and slow (minutes or hours of disconnection) handoffs as well as device sleep mode.
• Real-time access to data. If the mobile worker needs an increased level of uptime and access to data, Mobile VPN fits the bill. This type of access can increase service delivery for emergency response, field agents in the insurance and service industries, and so on.

How Do They Compare?

One VPN solution is not necessarily better than another. It all depends on enterprise needs. This chart outlines some of the main differences between available solutions.

Recommendations

If the enterprise does decide to employ a Mobile VPN, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Make sure it is secure. The enterprise should be able to lock out any devices that are lost, stolen or infected. Mobile VPN has standards-based security, but make sure that it also meets corporate compliance. Also make mobile employees aware of best practices for choosing passwords and protecting their data.
2. Keep it simple. Select the VPN option that has a user-friendly interface and supports all of the necessary applications with the least amount of tailoring.
3. Look for easy integration. To save both time and money, look for a solution that will integrate easily with the current network configuration.

Bottom Line

Info-Tech research shows more than 75% of enterprises of all sizes have or are planning to deploy a mobility solution. While one VPN solution is not necessarily better than any other, enterprises with a need for true mobile connectivity should look beyond traditional VPN solutions to Mobile VPN.