Juniper, NetScreen Move On

LAS VEGAS -- Juniper Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: JNPR) has almost finished gobbling up NetScreen Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: NSCN), but the company was tight-lipped on its product roadmap here at Networld+Interop in Las Vegas.

Since finalizing its $4 billion acquisition of NetScreen last month (see Juniper/NetScreen Merger OK'd), the company has been working furiously to merge the security firm into its infrastructure, according to Paula Reinman, the companys director of corporate communications.

Juniper is now nearly halfway through a 75-day project to merge its IT systems with those of NetScreen, and it has already consolidated its Microsoft Outlook and directory systems. "It's moving along quite aggressively," says Reinman.

Next week, the two companies will complete the merger of their two sales forces, and NetScreen will finish its move into Juniper's Sunnyvale, Calif., headquarters in July. But the merger has not been without disruptions – approximately 100 jobs have been lost from areas such as finance and IT.

Reinman was unwilling to provide any information on when we are likely to see joint products, although she did confirm that the NetScreen brand will not disappear. "We will keep the NetScreen name and the brand equity that they have built, but the company name is Juniper."There is a great deal of curiosity about what these products will look like. NetScreen's primary focus is security, with a range of products including integrated firewalls/SSL VPNs and intrusion detection and prevention. Juniper's focus, however, has been primarily on edge routers and infranet products.

Reinman wouldn't comment on long-term staffing plans for the NetScreen operations, other than confirming that the 100 or so layoffs have already taken place. She did promise that NetScreen's existing customers will continue to be supported. She says, "Platforms will be supported to end of life – you're not going to see anything like Juniper saying, 'We're not going to be supporting, X, Y, or Z.' "

Which areas will the new Juniper be targeting? Reinman predicts that there will be a 'tremendous focus' on the channel, and she said that initial target areas for the new, combined sales force will include converged voice and data and SSL VPNs.

— James Rogers, Site Editor, Next-gen Data Center Forum