Microsoft Closes Whale Acquisition July 27, 2006 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Software giant Microsoft (microsoft.com) announced on Wednesday it has completed its acquisition of SSL VPN and Web application firewall developer Whale Communications (whalecommunications.com).
Whale distinguished itself in the marketplace with its early focus on application-level security. Microsoft plans to further integrate the Whale access and application optimization technologies into its secure access platform, including ISA Server, in the future.
In celebration of the successful deal, says Microsoft, the company is providing a special price promotion from now to the end of the year. Customers will receive 25 percent off the list price of the Whale Intelligent Application Gateway and 25 percent off any add-on modules, including Whale's connectivity modules and application optimizers.
"This acquisition and Whale's products help us fulfill our promise to protect information and control access and move us closer to our vision of providing a comprehensive secure access platform," says Bob Kelly, general manager of infrastructure marketing at Microsoft. "Microsoft is committed to the continued investment and support of Whale technology and its focus on optimizing Microsoft and third-party applications, as SSL-based access and application protection are integral parts of our secure access road map."
The Whale acquisition follows Microsoft's recent announcement of Microsoft Forefront, the new brand for its portfolio of security products. Microsoft Forefront-branded products will be rolled out with the next wave of Microsoft's business security and secure access products across the client, server and network edge.
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