Juniper Networks To Acquire NetScreen, NetScreen Intros New Products

The networking vendor expects the deal to close by the second quarter of 2004, pending stockholder and regulatory approvals.

Neither Juniper nor NetScreen executives could immediately be reached to comment on the impact the acquisition may have on solution providers working with both companies.

NetScreen has made several moves of late including diving downstream into the midmarket with a new entry-level firewall/VPN solution line called Baseline. The Baseline line removes some of the advanced features enterprises rely on but mid-size businesses do not necessarily need, Steve Pataky, global business manager, medium enterprise, NetScreen, Sunnyvale, Calif., told CRN recently.

The company is using the same ScreenOS 5.0, its home-grown operating system used in its enterprise product line, but has removed such features as advanced routing capabilities, deep inspection and VLAN support.

Several new channel components have been added to support partners targeting this market including midsize enterprise sales and training modules, a resource site and business center with tools and resources specifically for partners in this space. The site shows how to map NetScreen solutions to the midmarket and gives advice on how to layer on other services such as managed offerings.

A starter kit will also be available with marketing materials that the channel can customize and send out to customers. NetScreen is working closely with Ingram Micro to help get VARs started, said Pataky.

On Monday, NetScreen also added new feature extensions to its existing SSL VPN Secure Access product family and a new SSL VPN central administration product called the Central Manager.

"We are increasing the access management and policy enforcement capabilities (of the Secure Access product family) to extend the product family into extranet and intranet security deployments," said Jason Matlof, vice president of marketing, Secure Access product group at NetScreen.

"As you start addressing more diverse populations and constituencies, which are typically non-employees, you want to be able to provide much more granular controls of access and more dynamic access privilege management," Matlof said.