As security becomes a front-and-center concern for organizations of all sizes, security vendors of equally varying types have been rushing to create more powerful, comprehensive appliances that can solve as many network headaches as possible.

But how long will these devices remain viable? As security and networking technologies converge, vendors are folding as many features as possible into a single device. And at least one formidable company, Cisco, envisions a day when all necessary security functions will be included in networking routers and switches, perhaps eliminating the need for standalone security devices altogether.

By Luc Hatlestad at VARBusiness.

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