The global content security gateway market continues to
gain at a steady clip, growing at more than double the rate of standard network
security products according to a new report out by analysts with Infonetics
Research.
The report found that security gateway appliances and
software market sales grew 8 percent in the second quarter of 2011. Compared to
the same quarter in 2010, second quarter racked up a very healthy 18 percent
gain, increasing to $766 million. This is following an impressive 2010, which
saw content security grow 19 percent year-over-year to hit $2.7 billion.
"Cisco took the lead in the content security
appliance segment in the second quarter of 2011, now ahead of Blue Coat, and
moved into second place after McAfee in the overall content security
market," says Jeff Wilson, principal analyst for Infonetics. "While
Cisco will have a hard time beating their impressive 2Q11 performance in this
space next quarter, we believe Federal spending -- despite soft expectations --
will help most content security gateway vendors increase revenue in third
quarter 2011."
Overall, Infonetics believes that content security will
increase to $3.9 billion by 2015.
Meanwhile, network security isn't doing too shabbily
either. The market grew 4 percent in the second quarter to a healthy $1.37
billion. Infonetics predicts this will be the standard setter this year, with
expectations that 2011 as a whole will see the market grow by 4 percent. The company attributes recent attacks by
Anonymous against BART and Facebook, plus public breach embarrassments at
University of Wisconsin and Yale as fuel for network security's sales fire.
"In the network security appliance and software
market, all of the major network security vendors are poised for growth in
3Q11, with most growing in the 5 percent to 10 percent range for the
quarter," Wilson says.
Cisco currently maintains the lead in network security
appliances and Check Point moved to second place ahead of Juniper Networks last
quarter.
