If surging revenues are any indication, there's opportunity aplenty in the content security space. But established players like Cisco Systems Inc. had better be wary -- non-traditional powers (including Google Inc.) are hip to its promise, too.

This spring, Cisco Systems Inc. announced its Nexus 5000 series of Server Access Switches. Cisco's go-to-market strategy with the Nexus 5000 involves a pair of deployment options.