Aventail

About Aventail

Aventail Corporation was a significant player in the secure remote access market, recognized as a pioneer in Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology. Founded in 1996 by Evan Kaplan, who served as its CEO, the Seattle-based company established a strong presence in the enterprise sector by providing secure application gateway solutions. Kaplan's journey reflects a deep-rooted expertise in technology and entrepreneurship, having led startups from his garage to publicly listed companies. His background includes an MBA from the University of Washington and a passion for alpinism, which speaks to a determined and strategic mindset.

Aventail's core business involved the development and sale of SSL VPN appliances and offering managed services. The company's technology allowed over 2.5 million end-users globally to securely access corporate applications and data remotely. Its business model initially included a direct managed SSL VPN service, which it later sold to Netifice Communications in 2005 to focus exclusively on its security gateway appliance business. This strategic move aimed to concentrate resources on product development, pushing SSL VPNs beyond simple remote access toward becoming comprehensive secure application gateways.

The company's flagship product was its line of SSL VPN appliances, which were particularly strong in the higher-end enterprise market. These solutions were noted for their robust security, access controls, policy enforcement, and endpoint control capabilities. A key differentiator was the clientless nature of the SSL VPN, which simplified remote access by using a standard web browser, eliminating the need for pre-installed client software. In June 2007, SonicWall announced its acquisition of Aventail for approximately $25 million in cash, a deal that was completed in July of the same year. The acquisition was a strategic move for SonicWall to expand its portfolio from the small-to-medium business market into the enterprise segment where Aventail had a strong foothold, ultimately combining their complementary technologies under the SonicWall brand.