Wave Issue 0505 2/4/05 Article 3-01

***New Research Shows Preference of Hardware Over Software for
Security Deployments

AUSTIN, Texas
Jan. 31, 2005

Britestream Networks has announced findings from a research
project that was designed to understand the types of security
measures organizations are deploying. The national survey was
conducted with over 300 IT professionals in companies with
annual revenues of more than $30 million that are highly or
somewhat involved with their company's network security.

A key finding was that over half (54%) of respondents preferred
a hardware-based solution, consisting of either a pre-bundled,
standalone hardware appliance or an embedded feature in network
hardware equipment, over a software-based solution when asked
how they would prefer to deploy network security in their
organization. This finding is significant since the predominant
method for deploying security in the past has been via software
because it was easier and faster to develop. Now however, the
market is demanding the higher security and performance levels
achievable in hardware implementations.

The new research findings also don't surprise industry analysts.
IDC predicted in 2004 that the security appliance market will
reach $4.73 billion in 2007 and that 80% of security products
will be hardware-based by then. Frost & Sullivan's analyst for
security technologies, Jason Wright, commented, "We expect
substantial increases in demand for high performance hardware
appliance-based solutions among medium and large enterprise
markets in the short term."

www.britestream.com