Symantec moves beyond storage security include more of its technology in Juniper networking devices.
Juniper Networks, Inc. and Symantec Corp. lately announced that the two companies have entered into a broad strategic partnership focused on delivering best-in-class, integrated security solutions to enterprise customers.
The partnership is designed to bolster Juniper’s security lineup while moving Symantec beyond security and storage and further into network technology. Symantec’s move to forge closer ties between the security industry and system management providers and network players should also help it fend off Microsoft, which is venturing aggressively into security with Windows Vista…
The agreement includes a commitment to develop unparalleled Unified Threat Management (UTM) solutions and Intrusion Protection Systems (IPS); dedicated plans to co-operatively build standards-based, integrated access control and endpoint compliance solutions; collaboration between Juniper’s J-Security Team and Symantec’s Global Intelligence Network to deliver security and threat research; and participation in cooperative sales and marketing efforts.
"This partnership brings together two very complementary companies focused on both network and endpoint security," said David Passmore, research director at Burton Group. "Juniper and Symantec will simplify choice for enterprises looking to purchase high-performance network security solutions that scale, and reduce the complexity involved in assembling solutions for endpoint compliance."
Together, Juniper Networks and Symantec are redefining the security landscape with a joint approach to meet customer demand for comprehensive, integrated security solutions.
Developing Comprehensive Integrated Security Solutions
Under the partnership, Symantec’s antispam technology, as well as its identity and intrusion prevention technologies, and vulnerability information will be marketed with Juniper’s Unified Threat Management (UTM) and Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP) products in the near term. Longer term, the companies will collaborate on the inclusion of antivirus and threat protection.
By expanding the support for Symantec content on Juniper devices, customers will benefit from simplified network topologies in the form of less devices (especially in branch environments) and the integration of best-in-class security and networking capabilities.
“Clearly, our customers are demanding a more comprehensive approach to security,” said John Thompson, chief executive of Symantec. “Security will be controlled by those that are dominant in the network. Juniper…is in the appliance area and Symantec in the content area.”
The expectation is that the companies can deliver co-branded products in the next 90 to 120 days. Symantec will also provide Juniper with vulnerability information and security research in the near term.
Building Best-in-Class Endpoint Compliance and Access Control Solutions
The security landscape has changed dramatically over the past 18 months. As a result, our customers are demanding a more comprehensive approach to security and management, with more attention being placed on expanding the ability to control networks, said John W. Thompson, chairman and CEO of Symantec.
"Customers are continuously challenged by business downtime caused by an elevated threat environment. Security requirements are becoming pervasive across all components of the IT infrastructure, while security complexity and costs are mounting," said Scott Kriens, chairman and CEO of Juniper Networks.
Combating the challenge, Juniper and Symantec also plan to co-operatively enhance and integrate their existing endpoint compliance and access control solutions by collaborating to build best-in-class, standards-based network enforcement and endpoint compliance solutions.
The solutions will leverage each company’s core competencies in endpoint and network security, and will be marketed and sold by both companies.
"We are reshaping the security landscape with Symantec. The industry’s best network security and information security companies are working together to deliver best-in-class, standards-based solutions that can be implemented cost-effectively across the business and protect existing investments."
As part of this effort, Juniper and Symantec will continue to work together to support the Trusted Network Connect (TNC) open standard, a set of non-proprietary network access control specifications that enables the application and enforcement of security requirements for endpoints connecting to a network.
"This partnership will leverage each company’s key technologies to deliver complete solutions to help organizations control which devices can access their networks. Further, this agreement brings together the industry’s best security teams to anticipate and protect against today’s sophisticated threats."
In the future, the companies expect to collaborate on integrating Symantec’s security content into Juniper’s network devices with the aid of open-source technology.
Delivering Industry-Leading Security and Threat Research
Juniper, which made its big entry into the security industry with its acquisition of NetScreen Technologies in 2004, found its customers wanted a more comprehensive approach to security, said Kriens.
Juniper’s J-Security worldwide team will team with Symantec’s industry-leading Global Intelligence Network on security and threat research, and collaborate on creating IPS signatures for Juniper’s award-winning IDP appliances to help customers better protect their networks against threats. The two teams will work together in identifying new and emerging network and application threats, and enabling the combined solutions with leading threat protection content.
The companies have had a longstanding relationship, with Symantec’s antispam software running on Juniper’s devices, but Juniper’s customers were requesting more security features, such as antivirus and e-mail scanning, Kriens noted.
The deal is nonexclusive, and in formulating the partnership, Thompson said, merger considerations were not part of the discussion. He added Symantec is "fully occupied" with integrating storage specialist Veritas Software, which it acquired last year, into the company’s product line.
The partnership announcement comes on the heels of the launch last week by Cisco Systems and Microsoft of a new architecture designed to allow their security technology platforms to operate together.
Microsoft is becoming a greater rival to Symantec as it dips further into security products. Microsoft also has the potential to undercut prices by using its security technology as a loss leader to help sell its other business software. And in August, Microsoft added to its security expertise by hiring Vincent Gullotto, former head of McAfee’s Antivirus and Vulnerability Emergency Response Team.
The partnership involves cooperative sales and marketing efforts between Juniper and Symantec. Symantec will recommend Juniper’s current and future Integrated Security and IDP appliances to new and existing enterprise customers, including existing Managed Security Services customers. Juniper will market and sell Symantec security content as a component of its Integrated Security Solutions portfolio. Juniper and Symantec will also explore additional opportunities for further collaboration in relevant markets and technologies to further provide customers with best-in-class integrated security solutions.
Collaboration Will Reduce Cost and Complexity in Deploying UTM Appliances, Endpoint Compliance and Access Control Solutions the companies said.