Trusted networking is changing the IT security and network industries as it embeds access control, threat defense and containment, and risk mitigation deeply into the network fabric. Cisco, HP, Nortel, Extreme Networks, Foundry Networks, 3Com and Enterasys have made security programs top priorities. Symantec, Trend Micro, McAfee and Computer Associates have focused on their niche in the trusted networks market and partnered with large enterprise players. All of the major service providers now offer managed firewall, VPN and IDS/IPS services. But it is hard to tell whether one company in particular – Juniper Networks – will be a factor in trusted enterprise networks.
Scott Kriens, Juniper chairman and CEO, has focused on the enterprise market in his speeches and acquisitions. Juniper recently acquired Peribit and Redline, and inked a new partnership with Avaya in the fast-growing IP telephony space. Redline is nicely positioned in the red-hot Web application acceleration market, and its 2004 $4 billion acquisition of NetScreen gives it a foothold in the enterprise market, as well. Juniper’s net revenues for the second quarter of 2005 were $493 million, compared to $306.9 million for the same period last year.
With all this going for it, why would I question whether Juniper could be a factor in the trusted networks market? Because there are a few issues that give me pause when I consider Juniper’s potential corporate network success:
- Lack of direct corporate relationships. Netscreen’s products were distributed to the enterprise market mostly through service providers. In acquiring Netscreen, Juniper gets another set of products to sell to service providers, rather than build and enhance corporate relationships.
- Product strategy. Juniper’s Redline acquisition is Layer 4 through 7 appliances. Juniper does not own any Layer 2 products. Layer 2 is becoming a platform on which trusted network services are hosted. Look at Cisco’s Catalyst switches and Network Admission Control, Nortel’s Ethernet Routing Switch Portfolio with Threat Protection System, ProCurve Networking by HP’s Interconnect switches with Virus Throttle, Extreme’s switches with Clear-Flow security technology, and Foundry’s switches with IronShield security technology. All deliver some form of network access control to stop the propagation of exploits before they enter the network. This hole in Juniper’s product strategy relegates it to an appliance-based security approach.
Making the jump . No company in the post-1984 divestiture world has been able to successfully leap from service provider equipment manufacturer into the enterprise market. Lucent sold Avaya to focus on the service provider market because it couldn’t serve both. The door just does not seem to swing both ways.
For sure, Juniper is on a roll and has market attention. But the question remains: Is Juniper a niche trusted networks player or a major influence and force?
Lippis consults to CIOs of Global 2000 companies and their directors reports on network architecture development and funding. He publishes the Lippis Report and can be reached at nick@lippis.com.
