Hardware security vendor IronPort has announced plans to take over encryption provider PostX. Integration of PostX technology will be fully integrated into the Ironport product line by January 2007.

In the meantime, IronPort will sell PostX e-mail encryption software under PostX Secure Envelope branding.

Michael Bosch, managing director of IronPort Systems Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, said he has already been negotiating with the PostX Australian country manager about local opportunities.

Bosch said at the moment PostX only has one representative in Australia and will rely on using IronPort's Australian infrastructure and field sales force.

"We are looking at becoming one fully integrated company around the first of January 2007 depending on regulatory approvals and we are already working with them daily," Bosch said.

"Security and encryption is kind of a discrete market in its own right and PostX will be a nice complement to what we are already doing and this purchase will enhance that.

"Our next move though is we (IronPort) have started shipping an HTTP Web filtering appliance and that is our direction. As a gateway security appliance the first market was SMTP but we are also looking at VoIP and instant messaging ... that may give you some idea of how we are tuning the company."

The purchase will be an all stock transaction.