ISP-Planet - Technology - RFP: Managed VPN Appliances for Broadband SMBs

Sections

• Best of the Lists
• Business
• CLEC-Planet
• Equipment
• Executive
Perspectives
• Fixed Wireless
• Investor
• Marketing
• Market Research
• News
• Notable Quotes
• Politics
• Profiles
• Resources
• Technology
• Value-Added
Services
• Webhosting
Also ...
• About Us
• Authors
• ISP-Planet Blog
• Letters
• Site Map
• Technology Jobs

ISP Resources

ISP-Lists
ISP Glossary
ISP News
The List
ISPCON Events
Free Newsletters

internet.com

IT
Developer
Internet News
Small Business
Personal Technology
International

Search internet.com
Advertise
Corporate Info
Newsletters
Tech Jobs
E-mail Offers

internet.commerce

Partner With Us

ISP-Planet Series-RFP: Managed VPN Appliances For Broadband SMBs—continued

Requirements and Objectives

IPRVnet is seeking turn-key IPsec hardware devices to support deployment of managed security services to customers such as those described above. IPRVnet is not seeking a software or ASP/MSP-hosted VPN solution at this time.

The following list enumerates IPRVnet's objectives and requirements for these devices. Unless otherwise, noted, support for every item on this list is not required. However, vendors responding to this RFP should satisfy all mandatory requirements and a high percentage of the remaining requirements.

Hardware Installation:

1. Turn-key hardware solution, mandatory
2. No truck roll required for existing accounts; drop-ship CPE, plug in, turn on
3. Remote configuration of all but basic network parameters
4. Remote activation of add-on features

Software/Policy Installation:

1. Central (ISP) policy definition and update; mandatory
2. Central (ISP) software update
3. IPsec client support for all Windows OSs

Physical:

1. Two or more 10BaseT or 10/100 ports; mandatory
2. Support for both DSL bridging modem and router environments;
3. AC Power; mandatory
4. Enclosure should be tamper-resistant

Management:

1. Enable secure remote management by ISP NOC; mandatory
2. Some method of out-of-band management in case of failure; mandatory
3. Configuration backup/restore; mandatory
4. Remote diagnostics, at least ping and traceroute; mandatory
5. Enable customer management of remote access user accounts
6. Single-point administration of multiple devices from ISP NOC
7. Configuration change audit trail

Monitoring:

1. Enable remote monitoring from ISP NOC; mandatory
2. For site-to-site tunnels, traffic stats; at minimum, average throughput, downtime
3. For remote user tunnels, user session stats; minimum, connection log
4. Configurable real-time alerts; SNMP, email, and/or pager
5. Event logging, stored locally and aggregated centrally

Firewall Features:

1. Stateful inspection and/or application proxy firewall; mandatory
2. ICSA certification; highly desirable
3. Logging with configurable detail, alerting; see monitoring
4. Network/Port address translation
5. DMZ option

VPN Features:

1. IPsec support for ESP, 3DES, SHA-1, and Diffie-Helman Group2; mandatory
2. IKE automated key management; mandatory
3. IPsec or IPsec/L2TP for remote access; mandatory; PPTP alone is insufficient
4. IPsec/IKE-level diagnostic tools; mandatory
5. ICSA certification and/or VPNC brand; highly desirable
6. Authentication: Pre-Shared Secret, X.509, and RADIUS; for remote users

A La Carte Options:

1. Content-filtering plug-in
2. Intrusion detection plug-in
3. Antivirus scanning plug-in

Vendor Support:

1. Technical support, accessible 24/7 to ISP NOC; mandatory
2. Marketing support program; mandatory
3. ISP staff training program; mandatory
4. 24-hour parts replacement and warranty program
5. Software upgrades and patches available on-line

Price:

IPRVnet intends to pass capital equipment costs along to customers by incorporating CPE purchase as a line item in service activation fees. We do not plan to offer a lease/purchase program. However, IPRVnet will give significant weight to price when selecting CPE, as start-up cost will have a definite impact on our ability to compete and penetrate the SMB market. Vendors responding to this RFP must be able to satisfy an entry-level customer such as that described in Scenario #1 with CPE retailing for no more than $2,000 (US).

Response Format
Vendor responses to this RFP should be structured as follows:

Introduction: An overview of your RFP response, identifying the product(s) being proposed and the purpose of each.
Solution Set: For each of the three scenarios illustrated in this RFP, include a subsection in your response, describing:
1. Proposed products and network configuration (diagram)
2. Rated capacity of proposed solution (throughput and tunnel limits)
3. Price of solution (list products and options, including IPsec client and management software license fees)
Requirements Map: A checklist of the requirements listed in this RFP, indicating Yes/No compliance, accompanied by brief statements where appropriate describing how your proposed solution(s) satisfy these requirements.
ISP Support Programs and References: Describe how your company works with ISP partners that deliver managed security services by reselling your VPN products. For example, describe marketing and sales support programs, ISP training programs, technical support tiers, and revenue-sharing incentives. Include a list of active ISP partners and at least one ISP reference that can be contacted by IPRVnet (ISP-Planet).
Summary: In 400 words or less, describe why your solution is appropriate, not just for these three example customers, but for IPRVnet and its target market. What makes your solution better than the competition? How is it well-suited for delivery of managed VPN services to broadband-enabled businesses of 10-200 employees?

< Back to page 1:
RFP: Managed VPN Appliances for Broadband SMBs
< Back to page 2:
Requirements and Objectives

— End

Related articles:
	The Remote Access Conundrum Series:
	[Jan. 5, 2000]	Part 1: Extended Authentication
	[Dec. 20, 2000]	Part 2: Tunneling at Layer Two
	[Feb. 8, 2001]	Part 3: Dynamic Addressing
	[Mar. 15, 2001]	Part 4: VPN Client Administration