MILPITAS, Calif., June 1, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Unified threat management (UTM) devices are the fastest growing segment within the security appliance category, according to IDC, which projects UTM to grow by 80 percent CAGR through 2008 and ultimately surpass firewall/VPN standalone solutions within an overall $3.5 billion market opportunity.
In acknowledging ServGate as one of the "visionary" pioneers among the aspiring number of UTM solutions, IDC specifically recognized ServGate for its unique platform architecture and established key partnerships with proven, premium brands. In spawning the UTM market, ServGate deployed a distinctive strategy underlying its EdgeForce(tm) product makeup: building blue chip partnerships with trust-brand security software leaders such as McAfee(tm) and SurfControl(tm) for virus, spam and web filtering applications.
ServGate's ability to embed McAfee's antivirus engine in the EdgeForce UTM architecture clearly differentiates it from other UTM vendors who merely repurpose virus signatures from the open source community and ultimately claim proprietary antivirus technology. The EdgeForce UTM platform also runs a security-hardened operating system (SGOS) that uniquely delivers a next generation architecture called Full Context Inspection(tm) that artfully integrates firewall, VPN, intrusion prevention, and spam, virus and web filtering on a purpose-built, network-based gateway appliance.
But in a market increasingly blurred by UTM look-alikes, it's important for customers to appreciate that not all UTM devices are created equal. For example:
-- Who is standing behind the UTM's content security solutions?
A proven, trusted brand name like McAfee, and marketed as
such as ServGate does, or a no-name, homegrown offering with
dubious proprietary technology and performance claims?
-- Can the UTM perform real time content reassembly at the
gateway to analyze blended threat content? ServGate's
network-based antivirus content reassembly process is based
on McAfee's patent-protected, world-renowned antivirus
application.
-- Is the antivirus application truly embedded in the UTM
gateway to block virus, worm and blended threats at the
network perimeter, or merely a conduit to managing updates on
the desktop and only covering a small percentage of the
threat universe?
-- Does the UTM solution offer quarantine capabilities through
an integrated hard disk drive, which is necessary to run
third party, best-in-class applications and capture and store
large, complex blended threat files at the gateway?
-- Does the UTM device offer the broadest context of threat
coverage, including all popular protocols through which
blended threats penetrate the network gateway (HTTP, FTP,
SMTP, POP3) and fully integrates in the UTM OS trusted brands
that work together to defend against viruses, spam, spyware
and harmful, inappropriate web content?
-- Does the UTM device have the ability to adapt to the changing
threat environment, or is it a fixed function appliance that
is good for today but tone-deaf to the ever-changing world of
modern malicious cyber-crime? ServGate's OS architecture was
designed with the modularity to accommodate future third
party, best-in-class applications responsive to shifting
market and risk conditions.
"While the market has recently seen an emergence of UTM-like products, ServGate is the market-leader delivering an adaptive platform that offers multiple 'genuine article' software security applications and performance scalability integrated into a feature-rich management interface," said Atchison Frazer, vice president, marketing, ServGate. "The value and flexibility our customers receive from this award-winning combination of software and hardware specialization legitimizes ServGate's UTM as the logical defense-in-depth complement to basic client and host-environment software solutions."
About ServGate
ServGate is a leading provider of integrated, adaptive network security platforms for small and medium businesses and the distributed enterprise. ServGate's award-winning UTM EdgeForce systems consolidate at the gateway modular services -- including virus, spam and web filtering, intrusion prevention, firewall, VPN and more -- reducing the cost and complexity associated with sourcing, implementing and maintaining security services. For more information about ServGate, call +1-408-635-8400 or visit www.servgate.com.