Not all organizations will need particular security features and capabilities that could drive up the total cost of the technology as well as the complexity involved in implementing the systems.

"If you're going to evaluate a UTM box, start with the basics: What are your needs? How big is your company? Is your company growing?" Crotty says. "Those questions alone would probably cut the [product] list down do about a third. Some of these players are much more geared toward the enterprise, some toward the low end."

Check Vendor References

Prior to purchasing a UTM from Fortinet, DJO, a global provider of medical devices based in Vista, Calif., visited several companies that were using UTM appliances from various vendors.

DJO wanted to learn about the level of administration needed to operate the products, how difficult they are to use, how the firewalls work with VPNs and other issues, says John Iraci, vice president of enterprise infrastructure at DJO.