Looks like Microsoft is also wanting to expand into the VPN market as well, giving them another security tool to offer as "de facto" with Windows. Microsoft is acquiring Whale Communications to make this happen, a company that specializes in SSL VPN software and appliances, which typically is thought of as a business solution to link different branches or users that often work from home. Some people praise WC on their prowess in the market:
Analyst firm Gartner rates Whale as "visionary" in the SSL VPN space because it has gone further than other vendors in developing special optimizations for applications, including Microsoft's SharePoint and Outlook Web Access, as well as IBM's Domino products, according to a Gartner report published in December.
What direction will the company be taking now that Microsoft calls the shots? Likely, it will largely be unchanged from a technical standpoint, but may end up moving towards a combination of an MS software package coupled with an MS appliance.