IronPort Systems has unveiled a range of hardware platforms designed to bolster its enterprise and carrier-grade email security systems.

The security firm, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary of networking giant Cisco, today announced details of its IronPort C-SeriesT and X-SeriesT email security gateways.

The firm also unveiled the new IronPort M-SeriesT security management appliance aimed at helping large organisations deal with the ever growing tide of spam and malware.

The range of 2U rack mountable units are the first new set of products the company has launched since it was acquired by Cisco. IronPort claimed that they offer as much as a 150 per cent performance improvement over previous versions.

"IronPort has long been a leader in email security," said Tom Gillis, vice president of marketing at Cisco.

"Our latest hardware releases are a great example of our ability to significantly raise the bar for email performance while extending our leadership position for anti-spam accuracy."

The continued rise in the volume of spam puts many organisations' email systems under tremendous strain. A recent report from The Radicati Group predicted that spam levels will rise from 78 per cent to 83 per cent within the next four years.

IronPort's C360, C660 and X1060 email security appliances, as well as the M660 and M1060 management appliances, are available now through IronPort and its reseller network.

Full specifications and product details are available on the company's web site.