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IAG 2007 -- A Whale of a Deal

Congratulations! You get to memorize a brand-new acronym. While Cisco has firewalls with names like PIX, Centri and Catalyst, acronym-crazy Microsoft named its latest firewall IAG 2007 (which is about as intuitive as ISA, its previous product).

IAG isn't just a complicated name; it's a complicated product and has an even more intricate history.

Let's start with the product. IAG combines ISA with VPN and firewall software that Microsoft got when it acquired security appliance maker Whale Communications, which had hardware similar to that of Network Engines, Celestix and others.

The appliance story is a bit tangled, so let me walk you through it. Although Whale was a maker of appliances, Microsoft decided not to compete against other hardware makers (check out our take on this issue here).

Instead, both Celestix and Network Appliance will build IAG hardware devices. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal all around.

Posted by Doug Barney on February 06, 2007


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