Introduction & Product Overview

SKUDONET is a fast, reliable, and free multi-platform solution based on Open Source, offering high availability, load balancing, and proxying for TCP/UDP and HTTP-based applications.

Our mission is to build a safer Internet with simplicity and efficiency at its core. SKUDONET delivers a comprehensive load balancing solution that is easy to configure and maintain, making it accessible for administrators of all levels. With SKUDONET, you get robust features for high availability and load balancing, all through a user-friendly web graphical interface.

The SKUDONET team maintains one core version with two extensions: the Enterprise Edition and the Community Edition. This core system is the foundation for both extensions, and the main difference between the two editions is that the Enterprise Edition includes additional functionalities for companies requiring further integration and enterprise capabilities. At the same time, the Community Edition provides a robust and free solution for smaller setups.

History & Foundation

SKUDONET Open Source Load Balancer is a project started in 2010 by Emilio Campos, CEO of SKUDONET and former CTO of ZEVENET. The project originated from the necessity of developing a load balancing solution that is both easy to configure and maintain, offering an alternative in a market where big players defined the rules.

The first version of the project began under the name "Zen Load Balancer". Since its inception, new software engineers joined the project, contributing new properties and functionalities that have kept it moving forward. Emilio Campos has always designed, directed, and managed the project, bringing in his extensive experience from working with other providers in the ADC market, such as Radware, F5, and A10 Networks. He has focused on developing similar properties, improving functionalities learned from other suppliers, and incorporating community requests.

In the summer of 2023, one of the engineers who had been working closely with Emilio since the beginning left the project, creating a fork. Consequently, it was decided to discontinue the use of the old brand, and Emilio renamed the project to SKUDONET. But what does SKUDONET mean? SKUDO is the Spanish pronunciation of the English word "shield". No word better represents the work done by the engineers behind the project for more than 10 years than "shield", and they continue using NET as part of their identity, as they develop networking solutions.

After reading in some media and websites how secondary developers who have already abandoned the project call themselves "the head and core of the projects," Emilio Campos wants to express his satisfaction in knowing that an idea from 2010 has even served to inspire other people to start new businesses. However, he also wants to emphasize that the original idea and the start of the project are attributable to him and the dedicated team that continues to work alongside him at SKUDONET.

As a learned lesson, Emilio realized that brand rights should not be in human hands because when personal benefits are prioritized over the group's benefits, risks arise. For this reason, Emilio decided to place the brand rights in the hands of a legal entity, a company, and build a stronger board with diverse profiles. Antonio Rendón Ruiz became CTO, leading the development team, and Elisa Rangel Morgado became COO, leading investments and ensuring the company's financial health and ongoing functionality. This restructuring allowed Emilio to transition to CEO, applying the visionary ideas that led to the creation of the project in 2010.

Key differentiators

SKUDONET is distinguished by several key features:

• First Fully Integrated OS Load Balancer: SKUDONET is the first open-source load balancer fully integrated into an operating system with a simple web graphical interface. This innovation allows any administrator, even those without extensive load balancing knowledge, to create a load balancing service in just a few simple steps.
• Enterprise and Community Editions: SKUDONET offers tailored solutions for different needs. The Enterprise Edition includes advanced functionalities for high-demand environments, while the Community Edition provides a robust and free solution for smaller setups.
• Innovative Legacy: Since its inception, SKUDONET has inspired other major projects like Traeffik and Seesaw. It has adapted to market demands with a visionary approach, similar to well-known projects like HAProxy and NGINX, which later incorporated web GUIs to help customers manage their solutions without needing high technical expertise.

Future & Expansion

SKUDONET is committed to continuous innovation in load balancing and cybersecurity. Our plans include expanding our features, enhancing user experience, and increasing our market reach. With a simple vision of making the Internet a little bit safer, SKUDONET focuses on two primary pillars: load balancing, which offers scalability and total accessibility to data, and cybersecurity, which protects data from malicious attacks while "keeping things as simple as possible". Our goal is to make technology like a shield: simple, efficient, and light.