All,
As many of you know, Shrew Soft has been distributing a free IPsec VPN
Client for more than 6 years. What may not be common knowledge is that
during the first 2 years of development, I was able to work on the VPN
client full time. This work was entirely self funded. As a result, we
were able to release version 1.0.0 through version 2.1.4. The software
improved at a very rapid pace with a total of 11 releases between Aug
2006 and Nov 2008. At that point I was forced to take a full time job.
Over the next 4 and a half years, there have been 4 releases, the last
of which took 2 and a half years to produce. These days I have a full
time job as well as a part time job. In other words, the development
pace has slowed, an issue that directly correlates with the amount of
free time I have available.
There is no shortage of work to be done when it comes to improving the
the VPN Client. Unfortunately, developing and maintaining a product of
this nature that runs on commercial operating systems is far from free.
At one point we had advertisements and donation links visible on the
site. Unfortunately, the revenue generated barely covered the cost of
co-location. This left all cost related to sanctioned Microsoft kernel
driver certification, Microsoft Developer Network subscriptions,
upgrading Microsoft Development tools and other software, Class 3 Code
signing certificates, hiring an outside contract developers to improve
kernel drivers and perform code audits, buying lab hardware and other
equipment ... the list goes on. After weighing our options and turning
down an offer from an established VPN client vendor to acquire Shrew
Soft Inc, we concluded that the only way for the product to survive was
to produce a commercial version. This decision was partially motivated
by the fact that the offer wasn't very attractive and partially by the
fear that, if we were acquired, our free product would be shelved to
reduce competition with a high cost commercial alternative. And as the
sole investor in Shrew Soft Inc, shouldering the continued operational
cost was quickly loosing its appeal. To continue offering a freeware
product, we also need to introduce a premium product that generates a
healthy revenue stream. By doing so, full time development can resume.
The overall product quality will improve at a much faster pace and the
cost of continued development and operations will be offset.
Who will pay to use the VPN Client and who will use it for free? After
pondering this question for quite some time, we came to the following
conclusion: If you need remote access to connect to a well funded
corporate office, then you can probably afford to pay a reasonable fee
to use our VPN client software. If you require need remote access to
connect to your small home office or business, then you can probably
live with a free VPN client that offers a moderately reduced feature
set. Professional vs Standard. Beginning with the next release, the
Shrew Soft VPN client will be available in two different editions.
What will be the difference? The Standard Edition will offer feature
parity with the 2.1.0 release. It will be free to use for both personal
commercial use. The Professional Edition will include all the features
available in the Standard Edition, as well as additional features that
would be useful for users connecting to a corporate LAN. The first
Professional release will reintroduce support for Split DNS. It will
also include the Shrew Soft Security Credentials Provider for Windows 7
and Windows 8. This feature will allow users to authenticate against a
Microsoft Windows AD/Domain via an IPsec VPN connection, directly from
the Windows login screen.
How do I obtain the Professional edition? Both editions of the client
software will distributed as a single download. You will be prompted to
select the preferred edition during the installation procedure. If the
Professional edition is selected, the product will be installed in an
evaluation mode with a 14 day trial limit. If you decide you don't need
the additional features provided by the Professional edition, you can
simply re-install the client and select the Standard edition. License
keys for the Professional edition will be available for purchase at our
online store.
How much will the Professional edition cost? We are still finalizing our
price model. But I can assure you, it will far less expensive than other
commercial solutions. This is partially due to the fact that we won't be
providing full support solutions. If your curious how much a Universal
IPsec VPN Client software license is selling for these days, please
visit one of the following web sites ....
http://www.thegreenbow.com/
http://www.ncp-e.com/
Thanks for your time,
-Matthew
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