WatchGuard Technologies is a provider of Internet security solutions for small- to mid-sized enterprises worldwide and a pioneer in security appliances. WatchGuard products include the Firebox line of firewall and VPN appliances.
History
The genesis of the Firebox product was Mazama Software Labs, a Seattle software company founded in 1995 by David Bonn to create easy to use Internet security products based on the Linux operating system. In February 1996, Mazama merged with Seattle Software Labs and the Firebox appliance was born. The company's first product was announced in a sneak preview published by Network Computing in September 1996 and the signature red Firebox 10 appliance was launched in December, 1996. Seattle Software Labs became WatchGuard in early 1997 after raising venture capital from OVP Ventures, Matrix Partners, and RRE Ventures. Expanding on the success of the Firebox 10 product, the company introduced the Firebox 100 in September 1997.
The Firebox product line was one of the first widely available network security appliances and won multiple awards, including Tester's Choice Award from Data Communications (1997), Best Buy Award from Network Solutions (1997), and Editor's Choice Awards from Communications News and Network Solutions (1998). WatchGuard capitalized on their early lead in this market with the Firebox II appliance launched in May 1998 at Networld Interop. In 1999, the company launched the LiveSecurity Service for IT administrators in addition to a managed security product for ISPs, which was adopted by companies such as UUnet, PSINet and Verio.
In July 1999 the company filed for an initial public offering on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol WGRD and closed the year with $47m in annual revenue. In October 1999, WatchGuard acquired Beadlenet of Laguna Hills, California and introduced a successful line of SOHO products. By the end of 1999, the company's market capitalization was $558m. A secondary public offering followed in January 2000 and market capitalization jumped to over one billion dollars during 2000.
WatchGuard was purchased for $151m by Francisco Partners and Vector Capital and taken private in October 2006.
External links
- Official company website
- WatchGuard Blog
References
- ^ "Mazama Packet Filter". Linux Journal. June 1 , 1995 . http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/1102 .
- ^ "Seattle Software's Firewall Keeps Watch". Network Computing. September 24, 1996 . http://www.networkcomputing.com/715/715spfirewall.html .
- ^ "Firewall application shored up". CNET. September 16, 1997 . http://news.com.com/Firewall+application+shored+up/2100-1017_3-203283.html .
- ^ "WatchGuard Introduces Firebox II". Press release. May 5, 1998 . http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20560305.html .
- ^ "WatchGuard To Provide Verio's Security Services". Internet News. April 27, 1999 . http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/106621 .
- ^ "WatchGuard buys way into SOHO market". Computergram International. October 27, 1999 . http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CGN/is_1999_Oct_27/ai_56955968 . .
- ^ "1999 IPO scorecard". IPO Monitor. December 31, 1999 . http://www.ipomonitor.com/reviews/1999/pages/industry-NET.shtml .
- ^ "WatchGuard being bought for $151M". Puget Sound Business Journal. July 25, 2006 . http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2006/07/24/daily9.html .
- ^ "WatchGuard Announces New Ownership". Press release. October 4, 2006 . http://www.watchguard.com/press/releases/wg370.asp .
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