News

Security Appliances Gain Popularity

At least one area of the IT industry is experiencing double digit growth, according to market research firm IDC -- security appliances.

Factory revenues were $355 million in the fourth quarter of 2002, an increase of 15 percent from the previous quarter, which was the largest sequential growth of 2002.

Of the security appliance market, firewall/VPN appliances are the leading segment at 90 percent of the revenue share in the fourth quarter. The network intrusion detection segment showed the most momentum with 19 percent sequential growth.

"Enterprises increasingly see security appliances as the bedrock of their security posture," Charles Kolodgy, research director for IDC's security products service, said in a statement. Growth is most pronounced among security appliances for small business, branch offices and supporting large data centers.

Cisco leads security appliance vendors worldwide with market share of 37 percent. Nokia, Netscreen, Sonicwall and Watchguard round out the top five vendors in order of market share. However, IDC analyst Chris Christiansen warned that vendors' competitiveness varies at different price levels. "Because customers vary radically by price band, success in one area has no bearing on another market," Christiansen said.

About the Author

Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.

Featured

  • Report: Cost, Sustainability Drive DaaS Adoption Beyond Remote Work

    Gartner's 2025 Magic Quadrant for Desktop as a Service reveals that while secure remote access remains a key driver of DaaS adoption, a growing number of deployments now focus on broader efficiency goals.

  • Windows 365 Reserve, Microsoft's Cloud PC Rental Service, Hits Preview

    Microsoft has launched a limited public preview of its new "Windows 365 Reserve" service, which lets organizations rent cloud PC instances in the event their Windows devices are stolen, lost or damaged.

  • Hands-On AI Skills Now Outshine Certs in Salary Stakes

    For AI-related roles, employers are prioritizing verifiable, hands-on abilities over framed certificates -- and they're paying a premium for it.

  • Roadblocks in Enterprise AI: Data and Skills Shortfalls Could Cost Millions

    Businesses risk losing up to $87 million a year if they fail to catch up with AI innovation, according to the Couchbase FY 2026 CIO AI Survey released this month.