3Com Makes Network Security Play

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. (TheStreet) -- Computer equipment maker 3Com(COMS) is bolstering its security story in an attempt to put the squeeze on networking giants Cisco(CSCO) and Juniper(JNPR ).

With cybersecurity a big issue for both businesses and governments, 3Com is building new security features into its Local Area Network (LAN) switches.

"Network security is increasingly on everybody's agenda," Ron Sege, the 3Com COO, told TheStreet.com, pointing to the Miami hacker who was charged with orchestrating one of the largest cases of identity theft in U.S. history. "CIOs and chief security officers are really worried that something like that is going to happen to them."

3Com already has a number of security weapons in its arsenal thanks to its 2005 acquisition of TippingPoint, specifically intrusion prevention technology, although this is typically sold as a standalone device. Now, however, 3Com will offer this capability as a blade which can slot into its LAN switch chassis.

"Before, you bought a separate box and plugged it in between your data center, for example, and the rest of the world," said Sege. "Now you will have a choice to distribute TippingPoint to more network places [such as] branch offices and wiring closets."

Increasingly, tech companies are looking to converge technologies, either through mergers and acquisitions or partnerships, as users look to reduce the amount of management needed in their data centers.

The move comes just a few months after 3Com expanded sales of products from its Chinese H3C subsidiary to the rest of the world, underlining the firm's desire to tackle Cisco. Prior to May, 3Com primarily sold its networking products to small and medium-sized businesses, whereas H3C had more of an enterprise focus.