When Planning an SMB solution for 700 with 5 to 10 users, what is the best endpoint protection plan. Do you need to have a endpoint manager for the products to work with an SMB appliance?

[Christopher_Par]

I get a lot of inquiries about 700 series routers and how to use end point protection with them. In partner map it does not really address a good solution for the smaller customers. What do you normally recommend for a customer with 5 to 10 seats? Is it a check point solution, zone alarm or something altogether different?

[PhoneBoy]

It depends on whether or not you want the Endpoint solution centrally managed.

If you want to go centrally managed, the cheapest (Check Point) way to go is an Open Server Endpoint Management license + the relevant Endpoint packages for your users.

If you don't want central management, ZoneAlarm is certainly a cost-effective solution. 

[G_W_Albrecht]

The main question is what Endpoint Blades are needed for the clients - if all they need is RA VPN and all other Security measures like AV, ABOT or IPS perform on the SMB GW, they need to buy a SMB GW and nothing else.

[Christopher_Par]

What I have been told is you have to have a 700 series firewall and you want to run Endpoint Data Protection on the Clients attached to that firewall, you need to have the Endpoint Management System in order to monitor and maintain them. The pushback I am getting is “why do I need to spend all that money to monitor and maintain my endpoint products for small systems with 5 to 10 seats. The endpoint agent prices per months aren’t too bad but when you add the Endpoint Management Server to it, the price becomes way too expensive. It really is not small system friendly.

[PhoneBoy]

The Endpoint Data Protection features require central management, which cannot be provided by the 700/1400 appliances.

And yes, the central management has a cost to it.