Network Security Expands in Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific network security vendors are expanding their product and service offerings to include endpoint, application, and content security, as well as secure access, according to a new study from Frost & Sullivan. "Asia Pacific Network Security Market" predicts the market will grow from $920.3 million in 2004 to $2.22 billion in 2011. "While the adoption and penetration of advance security solutions is slow in developing countries due to inadequate infrastructure, acceptance in developed countries is hampered due to market saturation," says Jay Tan, industry analyst and report author. He sees this changing as these countries improve their infrastructures, which will trigger faster growth and the need for enhanced security. Asia Pacific firms will struggle with the need for security versus the need for ROI, though there will be a need for enhanced security, Tan says. "Such expenditures are justified by emphasizing security threats addressed, rather than desired monetary returns." To meet these security threats vendors are enhancing their products and services. Firewall vendors are increasing the functionalities built into their gateway products, adding intrusion protection/intrusion detection (IDP/IPS) and content security features like antivirus, antispam, and Web-content filtering on a single platform. "SSL VPNs [secure socket layer virtual private networks] have gained increased acceptance as the technology to use for remote access," Tan says. "End-users are realizing the benefits of the technology and SSL VPN is expected to continue complementing IPSec VPN in VPN deployments. In time end-users may be looking for both IPSec VPN and SSL VPN on a single platform to avoid the need for multiple solutions." End-users have shifted from purchasing intrusion detection systems to security solutions that combine intrusion detection with intrusion prevention, according to Tan. He adds that vendors are widening their offerings to include application security, content security and other protection to provide a comprehensive security solution to their customers. "In order to maintain a competitive edge it is vital that vendors constantly look to provide more functionalities on their solutions to cope with the growing security needs of the modern-day enterprise," Tan says. "Vendors are forming strategic alliances, in order to leverage the technological capabilities of other vendors while concentrating in providing best-of-breed solutions in their chosen fields. Major vendors with the financial strength have also been conducting acquisitions of other companies, in order to attain a wider range of solution/technologies in their portfolio." Related articles: AOL Launches a New Security Suite Asia Pacific Contact Centers: Expect Multibillion Dollar Growth