Cisco rival Juniper Networks has said it plans to develop multi-purpose appliances to help firms cut the cost of providing secure network services for branch offices. The first phase of the scheme will see the firm today launch two J-series routers that incorporate Juniper's Secure Services Gateway (SSG) threat-management technology.
Chris Spain, Juniper's senior director of enterprise products and solutions, said Juniper has developed a multi-phase branch office strategy. "A key plank of the strategy will be to integrate Avaya's IP telephony hardware into our branch office appliances," he explained. "Aside from IP telephony, we'll also be integrating best-of-breed routing, application acceleration using technology from our Peribit acquisition, advanced security, and advanced network management based on the XML Netconf (network configuration) standard."
Spain said that Juniper plans eventually to move its branch office hardware into an all-in-one-box offering that he argued would significantly lower both capital and operational costs for customers. It will still offer point systems for those who want them. The first phase of this plan was the recent rollout of SSG appliances, together with today's launch of two new branch office routers, the J4350 and the higher end J6350. Spain said the two routers would employ Juniper's SSG 500 hardware.
Phase two of Juniper's strategy, integrating Avaya's products with its future branch office hardware, will occur in the first half of 2007. Phase three, adding application acceleration, network management and advanced security, is " 18 to 24 months" away, said Spain.
