We’ve heard rumors in the last few days about messaging-security vendor IronPort attempting to push for an IPO before the end of the calendar year.
While there’s no question the public markets have been more receptive to technology IPOs lately than at any other time this year, it’s unlikely that IronPort could file all the necessary SEC regulatory submissions in time to get an IPO done in 2006. It’s more likely the company will hope the currently favorable market dynamics extend into 2007, while also hoping that Symantec, Microsoft, Trend Micro, and Secure Computing (which now owns IronPort’s old nemesis CipherTrust) don’t cut too sharply into IronPort’s market share and revenue growth in the interim.
The long-term prospects for IronPort aren’t particularly bright, unless it can round out its product portfolio through a merger (perhaps with DNS/DHCP appliance vendor InfoBlox, whose president and CEO, Robert Thomas, sits on the IronPort board of directors) or an acquisition that gives the company a stronger hand in outbound-content control or data-loss prevention (DLP).
5 responses so far ↓
Anonymous Coward // October 24, 2006 at 3:50 pm |
They seemed to be heading towards the direction of pre “anti-threat” protection (spyware, phishing) for HTTP about 3 months ago. However, I’m left to speculate how much traction they are actually getting from the S-Series appliances.
If IronPort were to merge with InfoBlox and somehow incorporate SenderBase technology to protect DNS (perhaps DNS reputation), that may give InfoBlox a one-up over competitors such as BlueCat Networks. This would allow them to continue their messaging around “reputation” and SenderBase.
I’d suspect their exclusion from the outbound-content control market is due to performance issues. They didn’t seem too interested in the outbound-content control aspect of e-mail, which was evident in their C-Series appliances. Focusing on internal IT controls would take away from their leadership in providing “reputation” services.
Brad // October 24, 2006 at 7:42 pm |
Good comments, Anonymous Coward.
There are definite merits to an IronPort-InfoBlox merger, but I think IronPort might be a more willing partner than InfoBlox.
You’re also right about IronPort concentrating more on inbound messaging reputation than on outbound content control and confidentiality.
Anonymous Coward // October 25, 2006 at 9:43 am |
Sounds like they are still going towards protecting HTTP , as IronPort announced a partnership with Webroot yesterday to integrate a Webroot SDK into the S-Series appliance.
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=175685
Ryan Smith // January 4, 2007 at 2:46 pm |
Any idea what kind of revenues IronPort had last year?
2007: The Year of Enterprise M&A at Brian Berliner’s Brain // January 4, 2007 at 6:04 pm |
[...] Some say that IronPort was looking to the IPO market a few months ago. They clearly chose an alternate (and wiser) path. [...]