Press Release - For Immediate Release

IronPort Systems Continues Explosive Growth

IronPort Wraps up 2005 with 67% Annual Growth Rate, Groundbreaking Technology with Compelling ROI, and Increased Focus on the Channel

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - January 10, 2006 - IronPort Systems Inc., leader in email security, today announced that the company continues to exceed corporate milestones, ending 2005 with a 67% annual growth rate. IronPort also announced international expansion with the opening of 10 offices in 2005, increasing operations and distribution to 35 countries worldwide. IronPort also met aggressive hiring goals, finishing the year with 400 employees worldwide. Throughout 2005, IronPort continued to dominate large enterprise accounts, with major Global 2000 wins in all vertical industries and strong growth in large government accounts. In addition to strong acceptance in domestic enterprise accounts, IronPort is seeing the results of its aggressive international expansion and its investment in channel infrastructure to attack the mid-market. The cumulative impact of these wins has driven IronPort's installed base to over 250 Million seats, more than 10 times greater than IronPort's nearest private competitor.

"I am thrilled with our performance in 2005 and that we are well positioned to exceed our quarterly and annual financial goals for 2006 and beyond," said Scott Weiss, chief executive officer and co-founder of IronPort Systems. "The email security markets are very active and we expect to continue to grow our core business as well as redefine existing categories, with the introduction of new technologies."

"IronPort's impressive revenue growth positions the company as a leader in the secure content management (SCM) appliance market," said Brian Burke, research manager at IDC. "IDC believes that IronPort is well positioned to take advantage of the growing demand for comprehensive messaging security solutions."

Results Driven by Industry Leading Technology

These strong business results have been driven by IronPort's commitment to industry leading technology that is used to stop the spread of spam, viruses, fraudulent or "phishing" email, and the latest trend, email-borne spyware. IronPort innovations have attracted the customers with the most demanding networks. IronPort's customers include some of the largest companies in the world such as the leaders in semiconductors, financial services, manufacturing, and media. The two largest networking security companies both look to IronPort to protect their messaging systems. The two largest online retailers also trust their email to IronPort. IronPort technology is also at work defending the United States Armed Forces and the largest civilian agencies in Government.

"The biggest and best enterprises trust IronPort to protect their critical messaging infrastructures," said Tom Gillis, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at IronPort Systems. "Our customers are our greatest asset. They provide us with the input and the inspiration to build the best email security products on the planet. Their happiness is the reason we remain the industry leader in an increasingly competitive market."

Easy to Measure ROI

IronPort's remarkable financial performance has been driven by a very compelling ROI, made possible by IronPort's unique technology. IronPort's advanced reporting systems make it easy to measure ROI and communicate the savings to upper management. Customers have found:

porting systems make it easy to measure ROI and communicate the savings to upper management. Customers have found:
  • IronPort Reputation Filters™ reduce email bandwidth consumption by as much as 500%.
  • The performance of IronPort AsyncOS™ replaces legacy servers at a ratio of up to 10:1; reducing server count, rack space and management time.
  • IronPort's Virus Outbreak Filters™ have proven their value by stopping 99% of all outbreaks in 2005—an average of 14 hours ahead of signature availability.
  • The accuracy of IronPort's filters allows 'set-and-forget' operation, reducing administration time by as much as 80%.

Focus on the Channel

IronPort's growth plan has always been to aggressively establish a solid sales channel. In late 2005, IronPort organized the corporate sales infrastructure to maximize the channel and increase its reach. As part of this effort, IronPort has recently appointed Hideaki Harada to President, IronPort Systems K.K.. Harada led the expansion of Netscreen in Japan and is well versed in building and managing a powerful security distribution network.

"Our strategy of working with quality partners and providing them with dedicated training, marketing, and sales resources has resulted in a strong channel that has significantly contributed to IronPort's success," added Tom Gillis. "Our partners have proven to be pivotal in our growth and we are excited about increasing our reach and taking the partnerships to the next level in 2006."

About IronPort Systems

IronPort Systems is the leading email security provider for organizations ranging from small businesses to the Global 2000. The company has developed a family of email security appliances, the IronPort C-Series™, that offer breakthrough performance, unprecedented ease of use and reduced total cost of ownership. IronPort is driving new standards and providing innovative products for those faced with the monumental task of managing, protecting, and growing mission-critical email systems. For more information on IronPort products and services, visit: http://www.ironport.com/.

Press / Analysts

If you are a reporter or analyst and want more information on IronPort Systems please contact:
Liz Landis at (415) 828 4801 (mobile) or llandis@ironport.com
David Oro at (415) 885 9898 or dto@theorogroup.com