Juniper Networks and Symantec will jointly work on unified threat management and intrusion-detection/prevention products, and in the long term will extend their partnership to antivirus and threat detection.

The pairing, announced Tuesday, will first aim to enhance Juniper's UTM and IDP offerings, with its Integrated Security Platforms integrated with Symantec's antispam IDP/IPS (intrusion protection systems) signatures, vulnerability information and research.

Juniper provides products for building IP networks, while Symantec is a security-software vendor with products for individual PC users and companies. The partnership will pair the network protection element of Juniper's business with the desktop security provided by Symantec.

The companies will also integrate their existing endpoint compliance and access control products to develop standards-based enforcement and compliance software, they said in a webcast. They will keep working jointly to support the Trust Network Connect open standard, which is a set of nonproprietary network access control specifications.

The products that are expected to emerge from the partnership will be marketed and sold by both companies. Meanwhile, Symantec will recommend Juniper's integrated security and IDP products to its enterprise customers and Juniper will likewise market and sell Symantec security content as part of its Integrated Security Solutions portfolio.

The "drivers" for the partnership are to provide better security to customers, enabling faster response to threats and more comprehensive security coverage, said John W. Thompson, the chairman and CEO of Symantec during the webcast.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.