CohesiveFT's VPN-Cubed is targeting what I call "the last great frontier of the cloud", networking. Specifically, it is focusing a key problem--data security and control--in a unique way. The idea is that VPN-Cubed gives you software that allows you to create a VPN of sorts that is under your personal control, regardless of where the endpoints reside, on or off the cloud. Think of it as creating a private cloud network, capable of tying systems together across a plethora of cloud providers, as well as your own network.
The use case architecture is really very simple.
Diagram courtesy of CohesiveFT
VPNCubed Manager VMs are run in the network infrastructure that you wish to add to your cloud VPN. The manager then acts as a VPN gateway for the other VMs in that network, who can then communicate to other systems on the VPN via virtual NICs assigned to the VPN. I'll stop there, because networking is not my thing, but I will say it is important to note that this is a portable VPN infrastructure, which you can run on any compatible cloud, and CohesiveFT's business is to create images that will run on as many clouds as possible.
Patrick made a point of using the word "control" a lot in our conversation. I think this is where VPN-Cubed is a game changer. It is one of the first products I've seen target isolating your stuff in someone else's cloud, protecting access and encryption in a way that leaves you in command--assuming it works as advertised...and I have no reason to suspect otherwise.
Now, will this work with PaaS? No. SaaS? No. But if you are managing your applications in the cloud, even a hybrid cloud, and are concerned about network security, VPN-Cubed is worth a look.
What are the negatives here? Well, first I think VPN is a feature of a larger cloud network story. This is the first and only of its kind in the market, but I have a feeling other network vendors looking at this problem will address it in a more comprehensive solution.
Still, CohesiveFT has something here: it's simple, it is entirely under your control, and it serves a big immediate need. I think we'll see a lot more about this product as word gets out.
