ActivCard, Novell and Secure Computing all offer per-user pricing. ActivCard has a $60 flat fee for its server, with tokens costing $43 each (for 1,000). Novell charges $79 per user for SecureLogin. Secure Computing prices its silver tokens at $106.16 each (for 1,000) and includes the server in the token cost. Pricing gets more complicated if you want to include some tokens in a global-authentication implementation--the combined purchase price will mirror the implementation cost, climbing with each layer of additional software.
Lucent NavisRadius is a model of flexibility and earns our Editor's Choice award. Designed for the needs of ISPs and large enterprises, NavisRadius assumes that someone on staff thoroughly understands the authentication process, and it supports that knowledgeable individual with well-thought-out capabilities, tools and interface. Like all these products, NavisRadius requires integration and customization work for your network and applications. But Lucent recognizes this and provides a set of integration tools that simplifies the development process, with features that give you a head start in writing code and then help you debug it. Because it provides exceptional functionality at a very low starting price, NavisRadius also receives our Best Value award.
For those willing to trade some flexibility for ease of use, Secure Computing's SafeWord PremierAccess is a solid product that makes setting up token-based authentication and enrolling large numbers of tokens exceptionally easy. Its initial purchase price is high, but PremierAccess' user self-enrollment and straightforward server configuration will save you money on deployment, and the tokens are easy for users to handle.
NavisRadius initially seemed like overkill for a small or midsize business network. As it turns out, though, NavisRadius' low cost of entry and automated configuration tools make it a realistic option for any company with a need for solid authentication and a willingness to task a network professional with learning how authentication works.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
