NetDevices Inc, backed by four global high-technology investors with a funding of more than $15 million, on Tuesday announced the launch of its Bangalore operations, to deliver network systems solution for global customers.

NetDevices is converging internetworking and security solutions, enhancing functionalities and reducing costs ten fold to its customers, Seenu Banda, president and CEO, NetDevices, told reporters in Bangalore.

The 25-member Bangalore centre will engage in all global business functions, from concept to customer deployment, including architecture and technology innovation, hardware and software development, global marketing and global customer service and support, he said.

"We plan to increase our strength from 25 to 60 by the middle of this year," he said.

In addition, the Bangalore centre would also be responsible for market development for India and South East Asia, he said.

The Bangalore facility would be at par with the one in Sunnyvale in California, where the company is headquartered, in terms of its role and functions, with "no functional and organisational distinctions between the two," Banda said.

The solutions converge upto eight different internetworking and security applications in a single system, addressing the latest requirements of both enterprise customers and service providers, he said.

"The product will be launched in the middle of this year and will be directly marketed by us," he added.