- Juniper Networks gains entry into the content security market with SMobile Systems
- It will face tough competition from the endpoint security vendors that already offer mobile security solutions
- It must develop more comprehensive relationships with service providers to succeed
The business use of mobile devices and demand for flexible working continues to rise. Canalys estimates that a third of the 19.5 million smart phones shipped in EMEA in the first quarter of 2010 were to the enterprise sector. The importance of smart phones is growing, with volume shipments now exceeding those of portable PCs, including notebooks, netbooks and pads. By 2014, the base of smart phones in EMEA is expected to exceed 406 million. These devices are increasingly being brought into corporations, either by employees or as part of a company-led deployment, to be used for a growing range of work activities. A survey of business mobile phone users conducted in May 2010 indicates that e-mail is frequently used by 30% of smart phone users, with 22% often accessing work documents. More than 60% frequently access company databases and networks. But many businesses lack the capabilities to manage and secure smart phones appropriately, especially as senior executives often d isregard corporate policies and use their own devices to access sensitive information. Businesses will be increasingly forced to invest in mobile security. Consequently, vendors are ramping up their investment in this area by acquiring technology and forming alliances to capture this opportunity. Juniper Networks launched its mobile security strategy with the introduction of the Junos Pulse client platform in June. This enables end users on portable PCs to securely connect to corporate networks through SSL VPN, both on the client and on the network through the SA series SSL VPN appliance. Junos Pulse also offers WAN acceleration and network access control (NAC) capabilities in conjunction with Juniper appliances. On the back of this launch, it also recently announced a $70 million cash acquisition of SMobile Systems. Through this purchase, Juniper gains access to SMobile's portfolio of mobile security products and services. By integrating SMobile's security and device management technologies into Junos Pulse, Juniper will be able to provide antivirus, messaging security, host firewall, theft protection and device control in addition to the VPN functionality for smart phones and portable PCs. This acquisition is a significant step for Juniper as it squar ely places it in the content security market, which has been a major gap in its security portfolio to date. 
Despite the need for dedicated network security infrastructure there will also be a growing need from enterprises for tighter data security to facilitate employee mobility. Juniper gains additional benefits through SMobile: • It expands Juniper's footprint within the security software market, a strategy which it clearly initiated with the launch of Junos Pulse and Space. • It gives Juniper the opportunity to gain share in the mid-market. With limited IT budgets, let alone security, medium-sized companies are looking for simplicity, integration and consolidation of their IT infrastructure to allow the use of personal devices within the network in a secure way. The integrated approach that Junos offers along with other Juniper Networks appliances will appeal to this segment. Ease of management will be pivotal in convincing prospects of the Junos proposition. • It gives Juniper the ability to extend service provider relationships beyond the infrastructure. It can now have a more comprehensive discussion on mobile security, from infrastructure through to devices. Juniper can also use the relationships it has built on the success of its SRX security appliances. Juniper faces many challenges as it enters this market. It faces competition from incumbent security software vendors that already have mobile security capabilities and established customer relationships. Symantec acquired GuardianEdge and now offers device control and encryption along with its own antivirus, host IPS and device management products. McAfee acquired Trust Digital's mobile data protection, host firewall and NAC solutions. Kaspersky Lab launched a new version of its mobile security solution in February and even RIM's BlackBerry offers device encryption. These vendors have built customer trust in their endpoint capabilities and are three years ahead in selling software solutions in many cases. Juniper will find it challenging to compete with these established vendors, despite the possible discontent generated, for example, by McAfee's recent bad signature update. These vendors have a strong hold over their customers since their solutions are proven and long-standing. Time has shown that it is also difficult for traditional network security vendors to gain share in the endpoint market. Check Point for one has struggled to achieve traction with its Endpoint Security product, which Canalys estimates accounted for only 10% of its total shipment value at an end-user level in Q1 2010, despite being launched in early 2008. In the short-term, Juniper should offer its existing customers this solution as they have already invested in its appliances. They will then have the ability to set policies around access to the network based on the security posture of a mobile device. In the long-term, however, Juniper will need to develop more comprehensive relationships with service providers to include not only discussions around the network but also devices. With SMobile, service providers will have the ability to sell Junos Pulse as a service to customers, offering remote wipe or policy control services or to bundle the solution onto manufacturer devices. Juniper needs to use the relationships it has built up with service providers via its networking products and forge new relationships with the business units in control of mobile devices. Juniper's main long-term value for the enterprise will be its ability to provide unified device and network security management through Junos Space. This wil l enable enterprises to push policies once across all devices and appliances on the network. This acquisition will also affect strategic vendor relationships. SMobile can use Check Point as a route to market and Juniper currently has a relationship with Webroot which offers anti-malware functionality in Junos Pulse. While it is not clear how the relationship with Check Point will be affected, Webroot will still be able to offer its services on Junos Pulse for portable PCs as SMobile is currently limited to smart phones. Canalys expects SMobile functionality will be extended to other platforms and devices and this will invariably mean Juniper will have to cut ties with some of its content security partners. But this is also an opportunity for Juniper to use SMobile as a platform to integrate content security into some of its network security products, especially the SRX. This will allow Juniper to offer a truly integrated, scalable threat management solution. | 
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