IronPort played hard to get with Cisco

09.01.2007
Cisco Systems Inc. had made repeated attempts to acquire IronPort Systems Inc. prior to finally stitching up the A$1 billion (US$782.3 million) deal last week.

IronPort Australia Managing Director Michael Bosch said Cisco had been pursuing the gateway and e-mail security firm for over two years because the purchase is key to Cisco's Network Access Control (NAC) offering.

"Cisco has used our technology for nearly four years and had made several offers to buy us; this purchase is part of its security strategy," he said.

Bosch believes the networking giant has such a huge footprint that most existing IronPort users would already be Cisco customers.

Shortly before boarding a plane to San Francisco Monday, Bosch confirmed IronPort will be run as a separate business unit inside Cisco for the next two years.

"Cisco has committed to running IronPort as a separate business unit, independent of the Cisco banner, for a minimum two-year term," he said.