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Build an Open Source SSL Accelerator
Amin Zelfani writes "SSL accelerators like Big-IP 6900 from F5 Networks typically carry a $50k or more price tag. An article over at o3magazine.com shows you how to build an SSL accelerator that's on par with the commercial solutions, using Open Source projects. SSL Accelerators offload the encryption / decryption process from web servers, reducing load and reducing the number of certificates needed."
nginx, haproxy, varnish-cache
Ok. Lets say your geek is $65k+stuff a year. It takes your geek 6 months to fully ascend the nginx/haproxy/varnish-cache learning curve and get the stack working properly. A geek making only $65k WILL take that long trying to achieve some semblance of parity with a commercial quality, regression tested appliance. That's around $50k in labor (remember, employers pay hidden costs) + hardware (still not free, that.) Meanwhile, you've lost some number of eyeballs to glitches and poor performance and disappointed whomever wanted it 12 weeks ago.
You could use a better geek, but those cost more and you overrun your $50k budget faster, so that's a wash. Might lose fewer eyeballs that way...
Now you rely on a "one off" mystery that your geek, and only your geek, can possibly manage without learning the hard way WHY he's the only one. On the upside you also have the beginnings of a network appliance you might try to productize... if you can get your geek to document it.
Or you could drop $50k now and put your geek on something that doesn't come in a box.
I know, I know. "SIX MONTHS!!!111 What kind of idiot..." I've been involved with this stuff a long time. It isn't done when the light comes on. It takes lots of effort to go from "oh look, it lit up!" to a finished product. In the end you'll spend every damn minute of that 6 months whether you do it up front or amortize it over half a decade. If you take the long view you realize that there is a reason BigIP has customers.