New Brocade - Mcafee Network Security Partnership
Added 23rd Feb 2010As a part of an open technology architecture approach, Brocade and McAfee say they are collaborating on a set of "jointly designed, interoperable solutions developed specifically to address the network security needs of enterprise customers".
The partnership pairs leading-edge Brocade networking products with McAfee's extensive security capabilities. These solutions are being delivered under a new agreement that enables this first phase of a multi-year relationship between the two companies.
In a statement, the IT firms said the new package "enables customers to deploy and maintain highly reliable and secure network environments -- from endpoint to the edge and the core -- that are protected against a wide range of security threats, including malicious activities, data breaches, network intrusions and policy violations".
Security now critical
The statement said: "The concern over security has increasingly become a critical consideration within the IT infrastructure at all levels in the network. This issue is further compounded by the increasing volume of data traffic being transferred between a growing number of access points, such as personal computers and mobile devices".
Many organisations are finding that they must address security risk from multiple fronts to meet the evolving threat landscape, as network vulnerability can inevitably result in lost revenue and lower customer confidence, and negatively impact brand credibility.
Large enterprises must also consistently comply with new industry and government regulatory requirements and reconcile them with existing corporate policies, which add yet another layer of complexity to the network security equation. As a result, the gap is narrowing between the networking and security organisations within IT environments, and the collective functions and responsibilities are becoming more important than ever.
Network security priority
According to a recent survey on IT spending intentions conducted by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), information security initiatives ranked in the top four among a list of 25 IT priority areas for 2010. In particular, network security was considered to be a top priority among IT managers for the coming year, as "increased Internet and internal bandwidth demand faster network security systems" that can protect data within all levels of the networking environment.
"The ever-changing threat landscape coupled with convergence in the campus LAN arena calls for the integration of best-in-class networking and security products," said Jon Oltsik, senior principal analyst at ESG. "In today's challenging and competitive business climate, enterprises must constantly keep a watchful eye across the entire network infrastructure to preempt a possible attack and be prepared to act if the unexpected occurs."
"Keeping data secure is a battle that must be waged on multiple fronts, especially at the network level," said Dan Ryan, executive vice president and general manager of the network security business unit at McAfee.
"Working with Brocade to bring a comprehensive set of network security solutions to market makes perfect sense -- the coupling of the strengths of both companies is expected to deliver a set of solutions that customers can depend on to protect their most valuable data assets."
Anytime -- anywhere connection
"Brocade's vision is for network services to enable customers to securely connect anytime from anywhere in a globally competitive marketplace. This vision is becoming a reality through partnerships with top companies like McAfee, with which Brocade has a natural synergy that has culminated in the development of highly reliable, best-of-breed network security solution sets," said Deb Dutta, vice president, Brocade Asia Pacific.
"Recognising the eventual integration and overlap of security within the network environment, we are taking a proactive approach to offering customers a set of proven solutions that provide greater choice and flexibility in the marketplace."
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