What determines the price of a UTM?
When planning infrastructure security for our clients, we always start with a conversation about their current situation. Often, at this early stage, we encounter doubts regarding various forms of security, as well as more specific questions about their class, price, and other important aspects.
One of the solutions that frequently comes up in these discussions is UTM and alternative solutions performing similar tasks. The reason? The prices of corporate network security solutions vary significantly and depend on many factors. But before we get to what determines the price of a UTM, let’s clarify the definitions and operational scopes of various devices.
What is a UTM, and what is it not?
UTM (Unified Threat Management) technology is a collection of network security systems. This multifunctional appliance combines network access defense mechanisms such as a firewall, antivirus, content filtering, intrusion prevention, VPN, IPS, and IDS.
All these functions are performed by a physical or virtual appliance designed to secure the network against threats from incoming external traffic and unwanted internal traffic.
Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) solutions perform similar functions, which – as is often the case – leads to a visible split among experts in online discussions. One camp claims that UTM firewalls and NGFWs can be evaluated side-by-side when analyzing the best options for a given network and are practically equivalent. The other, more orthodox camp, absolutely rejects the possibility of such a comparison.
Can UTM and NGFW solutions be evaluated together?
Practical implementation experience with clients shows that these solutions can absolutely be analyzed as direct alternatives. They achieve similar goals for organizations, so the choice is determined by the organization’s network security strategy, rather than the solution type itself.
The line between UTM and NGFW is becoming increasingly blurred, with many modern appliances combining features of both systems. Features available in Unified Threat Management devices, such as intrusion prevention (IPS), application control, and antivirus, also appear in some NGFWs. Both solutions have different levels of complexity when it comes to management itself. Some UTM manufacturers also classify their devices as NGFWs, as seen with Stormshield UTM appliances, which are officially marketed as combining the features of both options.
It is also worth considering this aspect in the context of the IT administrators’ experience who will be responsible for working with the device, as some consoles are easier to use, while others are more complex.
Another difference lies in prices and operational costs. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) can become a strong determining factor in choosing one option over the other.
What determines the price of a UTM?
The price of a UTM cannot be analyzed as the sole metric when comparing available solutions. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) consists of costs that can be categorized as direct and indirect.
Direct costs of implementing network security are associated with purchasing the hardware and software itself. This must also include the price of UTM licenses, which enable the use of various services and features within the appliance.
Licenses are sold for a specific period, so the TCO must also account for their renewal. The total TCO should be analyzed over a 5-year period, as it is a good practice to replace these devices after that time.
Direct costs also include the initial deployment of the device, its configuration, and customization to the organization’s specifics. Additionally, there are costs related to ongoing administration, updates, patching, adapting to changing security requirements, and the utility costs for running and cooling the data center.
Indirect costs associated with implementation include:
the need to train the technical staff who will operate the implemented tools,
costs of reduced performance if a poorly chosen (underpowered) appliance introduces network latency or requires additional hardware to boost performance. This often necessitates replacing it with a better device (resulting in additional costs). However, in the case of some devices, expansion is possible via a performance-boosting license using a “pay-as-you-go” model,
additional costs related to potential integration with other systems and solutions.
This is not an exhaustive list, but it allows for a fairly accurate estimation of the TCO. Analyzing the solutions and price lists available on the market, it becomes apparent that the level of direct costs – especially the price of the appliance itself and its licenses – is significantly tied to the brand.
When choosing a network security solution, it is much wiser to be guided by the product’s functionalities, its TCO, and the price-to-quality ratio.
Are you looking for a solution tailored to your organization’s needs? Interested in purchasing UTM devices? Contact our engineers!
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