Juniper Networks, Symantec form strategic partnership to deliver best-in-class security solutions

Juniper Networks and Symantec today 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 agreement includes a commitment to develop unparalleled Unified Threat Management (UTM) solutions and Intrusion Protection Systems (IPS), dedicated plans to co-operatively build 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.

Together, Juniper Networks and Symantec are redefining the security landscape with a joint approach to meet customer demand for comprehensive, integrated security solutions.

"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."

Juniper and Symantec will dedicate engineering resources to enhance Juniper's Unified Threat Management (UTM) and Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP) products. Juniper's industry-leading Integrated Security Platforms will include Symantec's award-winning security content, including its anti-spam, IDS/IPS signatures and vulnerability information and research in the near term. Longer term, the companies will companies will collaborate on the inclusion of anti-virus 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.

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Juniper and Symantec also plan to co-operatively enhance 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.

As part of this effort, Symantec and Juniper will 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.

"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. "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."

"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, Symantec. "This partnership will leverage each company's key technologies to deliver complete solutions to help organisations 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.

Juniper's J-Security worldwide team will collaborate 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 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.

Juniper Networks and Symantec will host a press conference call today, 12 September at 16h00 (SA time) to be broadcasted live over the Internet at http://www.juniper.net/company/investor/announcement.html. Should you be interested in participating in the conference call please dial in on (091) 212 676 5370.