Cisco buys its way into email security

AFTER HAVING USED email protection from Ironport Systems for a while, Cisco decided to buy the company.

The network firm said it is prepared to pay $830 million in cash and stock to acquire California-based Ironport. And it won't wade in slashing staff, it promised.

Richard Palmer, senior vice president of Cisco's Security Technology Group indicted that Ironport's security products would be integrated into Cisco's existing security offering: "We feel there is enormous potential for enhanced email and message protection solutions to be integrated into the existing Cisco Self-Defending Network framework," he said. µ