Email and web security firm Marshal is to merge with web filtering company 8e6 Technologies in a deal set to increase the market opportunities for both outfits and provide customers with a consolidated security solution provider.

The combined company, which will be known as Marshal 8e6, will serve over 20,000 customers and manage more than 16 million end users in 96 countries, according to Marshal chief executive Ed McNair.

"Seventy-five per cent of our revenue is from email security, but if you look at the way the market is going now, many threats are across email and web," he said.

"To combat these threats effectively you need a co-ordinated security approach across email, web, instant messaging and peer-to-peer, and you must be able to share information across these channels. That was a big driver here."

Marshal 8e6 may also appeal to firms looking to reduce costs by consolidating the number of security vendors with which they do business, added 8e6 president Paul Myer.

"We think we'd be able to tap into that," he said. "Customers are looking at ways to make their products easier to deploy and manage, and less expensive to maintain."

The first joint products will be released in the third quarter of 2009, said McNair.