Exchanging data between computer systems must be seen today as a basic business technology for both the internal and external communication of enterprises. Not every enterprise is entirely aware of the associated safety risks coming with this high level of networking and its speed, since not only data but also passwords are often transmitted unencrypted.
Often even a simply network inquiry consists in a multi-level process that could be used to transmit information about the used or attacked network without any protection. Confidential information between the enterprise itself and its subsidiaries and/or remotely working employees are under a special risk being intercepted by professional hackers.

As long as the company's local area network stays inaccessible for an outsider, the majority of IT administrators believe in the security of their data. Should this data be transmitted using public networks or the Internet, internal protection is entirely useless. Unencrypted data communication can be intercepted and misused by unauthorized persons, because public networks offer uncontrolled access.

A secured - or encrypted - transport through the Internet can serve as a solution to this problem. A so-called Virtual Privat Network (VPN) enables an encrypted and thus secured connection through the Internet with a corresponding gateway on the other side of the "tunnel".

Encryption devices featuring secured communication using encryption key lengths exceeding 56-bit can mostly be obtained form US manufacturers and are still controlled by very strict export laws of their specific countries of origin. Exceptions will only be made for manufacturers willing to cooperate with the National Security Agency (NSA) after having installed a "back-door" which would ensure an easy decryption for the US Government at any given time. For most clients this would be a totally unacceptable safety compromise, one of numerous reasons for the European clientele to favor a technology "Made in Germany".
But not only the safety aspect serves as an advantage for a potential customer: using existing hardware infrastructure as well as worldwide network access using local Internet access instead of dedicated data lines represent a huge potential in reducing cost. Installing a VPN hardware will have a very fast return on investment: in most cases the device paid for itself within only one year. A reduction of telecommunication cost by 80% is quite typical.