McAfee, Riverbed unveil new multilayer security package

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 7 (UPI) -- McAfee and Riverbed have gone into partnership to unveil a new wide area network security package that works at different levels to respond to the needs of institutions with multiple or remote offices.

Analysts said the new WAM product, if proven cost-effective, could answer a long-felt need to reduce costs on complex networks that also need to be secure when distributed across several premises of the same organization.

Security experts said they saw the potential for the new appliance having both civil and military applications and a global marketing opportunity.

Competition in the security industry has grown fierce with cybersecurity moving up the national and international agenda since the Obama administration launched an awareness program last year.

Critics say the industry needs to standardize more and deliver on the promise to make new appliances and applications more affordable and less complicated for public and corporate staff assigned to manage them.

McAfee Inc. and Riverbed Technology said their partnership delivers a "best-of-breed and comprehensive" security and WAN optimization solution for organizations with remote offices.

The companies in a news release called it "the one-box solution." The appliance includes McAfee Firewall Enterprise software running on the Riverbed Steelhead appliance, which has already won awards.

The appliance enables enterprises to provide accelerated data and application access to users while protecting critical information and infrastructure from hackers, viruses and other security threats.

The joining of forces between McAfee and Riverbed will help customers cost-effectively address issues that arise when computers are distributed across locations.

The appliance has brought into focus key issues of server centralization, data center consolidation and a mobile workforce.

"Customers will realize immediate, tangible benefits and lower total cost of ownership through device consolidation, reduced operational complexity and lower business risk," the companies stated.

Riverbed says its WAN optimization can address infrastructure bottlenecks such as slow database backups and insufficient bandwidth at remote sites.

By speeding the performance of applications between data centers, remote offices and highly mobile workers, in some cases by up to 100 times, IT staff can hope to consolidate their operations and increase productivity.

Riverbed says its Steelhead products enable companies to consolidate IT while improving staff productivity and collaboration.

Venugopal Pai, a Riverbed vice president, said companies are increasingly consolidating their IT infrastructure and moving data farther from users, with the result that response time is often affected.

Dan Ryan, a McAfee executive vice president and general manager of the network security business at the company, said customers now expected simplified management and security that was integrated into critical network infrastructures.

McAfee Inc., the world's largest dedicated security technology company, has headquarters in Santa Clara.

Riverbed Technology has headquarters in San Francisco.