The invention relates to a technology for transmitting an application payload in a network. One or more application payloads corresponding to one or more applications residing on a client are received, wherein the application payload formed from a client request comprises a transport layer protocol. The transport layer protocol is terminated and the application payload associated with a current session is read. Header information, including application specific information, is prepared for each of the received applications for insertion into a corresponding one of the application payloads. Theapplication payloads are encrypted, including the header information, for transmission in the network via a single virtual communication link.