Cyberoam aims to become the powerhouse in network security

Hemal Patel,
CEO, Cyberoam Technologies – A Sophos Company. SVP & MD
Sophos India

With an aim to expand and deepen the significant product portfolio in network security, Sophos has recently acquired Cyberoam. Sophos, headquartered in Boston(US) , is a provider of network security solutions in UTM and wireless security and Cyberoam Technologies, headquartered in Ahmedabad, India, is a leading global provider of network security products.The latest acquisition combines Cyberoam’s Unified Threat Management (UTM), next-generation firewall and network security expertise with Sophos’ existing network security solutions in UTM and wireless security. As per IDC, the UTM market is $2.5B and growing at 15-20% per year.

Cyberoam’s high performance UTM and Next Generation Firewall appliances, built on a similar Intel-based architecture as Sophos’ UTM solutions, deliver advanced technologies that will complement and expand the entire Sophos network security portfolio. These two joining forces are seemed to drive the technology into even greater innovation and value. The acquisition advances both the company’s position in network security. In an exclusive interaction with VARINDIA, Hemal Patel, CEO – Cyberoam Technologies – A Sophos Company, SVP& MD Sophos India shares his views. Excerpts…. 

We are focused on continuing the great momentum and success that Sophos and Cyberoam have already established, and our goal is to allow our teams to benefit from the strengths of coming together, but not disrupt all the good activity that is already under way.  In one short phrase, ‘Business would be as usual – but better’

What is the objective behind the M&A with Sophos which has happened recently?

Our goal in coming together is very simple:  to take the significant success that each company is achieving on its own, and to expand and accelerate that success even further.  We are performing very well in the market, and outgrowing our competitors.  But we have a stated ambition to become a much larger player in network security – not only in UTM, but in a number of exciting adjacent markets that are growing even faster, like next generation firewall (NGFW), advanced persistent threat (APT) protection, and wireless security.  This translates in to more resources to accelerate our success in network security, across every aspect of the business:  more resources for product innovation, more sales and partner reach, more support strength, and a higher profile as a disruptive leader in the industry.

How do you think the technology will shape up at Domestic and International level?

The combined company will have more resources focused on the high-growth UTM market as well as exciting adjacent markets in network security such as next generation firewall, APT protection and WiFi security. That means we can take the two companies’ existing product roadmaps and enhance them, and add new offerings to future roadmaps that allow us to protect our customers better.

How is it beneficial to the present customers and how it will help Cyberoam to address other key verticals?

This deal does not affect our customers in any way. All their contracts remain valid. Our support structure also remains the same. In fact, both Cyberoam and Sophos share a strong reputation for high quality products and strong, responsive customer support, and the combined company expects to further invest in this area as a key differentiator. Cyberoam and Sophos are renowned for their products’ ease of use and manageability, and the combined company will deepen its commitment to delivering complete security without complexity to all businesses.

How Cyberoam and Sophos technologies remain identical? (product & services wise)

Cyberoam’s technology has a similar product architecture to the Sophos UTM, which will aid in longer-term integration; in addition each company has a variety of complementary technologies that offers a unique opportunity to sell new and differentiated products. Together the two companies can tap into multiple centers of strong engineering talent, including in Europe, North America, and India; and thus dramatically expand leveraging combined resources in UTM-oriented sales, marketing, customer support, and operations. 

What is the road map for the year ahead?

For 2014, we expect that each company will continue to operate as largely separate groups, and execute on their own plans, with no change to product roadmaps, no change to channel partner programs and no change to organizations.