Alcatel-Lucent is currently in exclusive negotiations with Thales to sell off its network security business to the defense giant.
Alcatel-Lucent said Thursday that it was looking to form a strategic partnership with Thales SA (Paris: TCFP.PA) in which they would provide their combined cyber security and communications security services to their customers. Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) would also continue to develop new "advanced security features for its portfolio of IP and ultra-broadband access products," the company said in a release on the proposed deal.
Cyber security was a cornerstone of Alcatel-Lucent's Shift Plan, unveiled last year, and the company believes that by divesting to Thales it will be able to offer customers an end-to-end network security platform that combines its network knowledge with Thales's defense services. (See Alcatel-Lucent Unveils Shift Plan and Alcatel-Lucent Builds Future Around IP.)
The deal isn't official yet, as the two companies work out the terms of the deal, but this isn't the first tie-up between the pair. Alcatel-Lucent previously had a 20.8% stake in Thales that it sold off in 2008 as part of its effort to divest non-core assets. It had transferred its space assets to Thales in 2007 after Alcatel and Lucent merged. (See AlcaLu to Sell Thales and AlcaLu Seals Asset Sale Deal.)
"Alcatel-Lucent needs a significant play in network security to be competitive with where Nokia is already at and where Ericsson is clearly going now," Heavy Reading security analyst Patrick Donegan tells us. "This looks like it, albeit the devil will be in the details when they are discussed in briefings in the coming days."
Re: outsourcing security @pdonegan67-I agree with the fact that ALU does not stand any chance of being competitive when it comes to the end to end network security space. I also think that the only way through which you can give ALU something that is more compelling is by selling out and allowing Thales to incorporate the ALU capabilities into their portfolio. I also agree with the fact that even though they may not own it, they will sell something that is much more compelling than what they normally offer.
Re: outsourcing security Thanks Sarah! The Arbor partnership seemed to be an integration of IDS/IPS between Arbor's probes and the ISA MDA, which is a card in ALu's routers that can do specialized functions. Kindsight, I can't recall if they were owned by ALu or not, but that's probably whats on the table.
Re: outsourcing security A deal hasn't been struck yet, so I think it's all under discussion. We'll hopefully hear more official news in the coming days, but the division include its cyber-security and network security assets.
Re: outsourcing security Specifically, do you know what this will do to the overall SROS strategy? I was only familiar with ALu's partnership with Arbor and its pitch with Kindsight Security Labs. Do you know how or what is being sold? I'm going to assume what their plan to expand security visibility into their NMS (5620 SAM) is still on the table. But their other partnerships might be what are being revamped
Re: outsourcing security Thanks, Patrick. That makes sense, although there must have to be some level of exclusivity to the deal, otherwise Thales could offer that end-to-end benefit to other vendors as well.
Re: outsourcing security I think the rationale goes something like this. Solo, with what they have internally, ALU stands next to no chance of being competitive in the end to end network security space.
By selling out, allowing Thales to integrate the ALU capabilities into their portfolio, and then positioning the bigger end to end Thales-owned story, ALU will have something a lot more compelling. They won't own it (to your point) but what they will have to sell will be (a lot) more compelling than what they currently have.
That looks like the rationale but it's difficult to verify that since it turns out they're not hosting briefings as the negotations are only now getting underway.
Re: outsourcing security I was thinking the same thing, Sarah. How does selling their security division make AlcaLu more serious about security, either in appearance or actuality?
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