Small Security Feat
<img data-cke-saved-src="https://i.crn.com/crntwimgs/sections/graphics/986/986n\\_smbopp.gif" src="https://i.crn.com/crntwimgs/sections/graphics/986/986n\\_smbopp.gif" border="0" width="108' HEIGHT=" 42"="" align="LEFT" hspace="3" vspace="2">McAfee Security this week plans to unveil new SMB offerings that bundle its antivirus software with its ePolicy Orchestrator management tool.
The McAfee Active Virus Defense and Active VirusScan Small Business Editions are designed to equip SMBs with the same antivirus management capabilities as those available to large enterprises, McAfee executives said in a CRN exclusive briefing.
"The bottom line is that small and midsize businesses need the same amount of manageability as enterprise players do, and in some cases more because they lack the IT infrastructure that enterprises have," said Mike Menegay, vice president of channels and alliances at McAfee, based here.
The bundled products, tailored to companies with up to 250 employees, allow solution providers to provide cost-effective, comprehensive protection for the SMB in one SKU, he said.
Active VirusScan Small Business Edition includes VirusScan desktop software, NetShield file-server software and the ePolicy Orchestrator management console, which allows administrators to centrally manage and enforce antivirus policy across a network. Pricing starts at $45 per node, per year.
\
The new small-biz editions are tailored to companies with up to 250 employees.
In addition to those components, Active Virus Defense Small Business Edition includes GroupShield software for e-mail servers and WebShield Internet gateway protection. Pricing for the software starts at $63 per node, per year.
Both packages are available immediately, Menegay said.
The bundled products provide small businesses with the opportunity to implement a full-fledged security solution and give them a management tool that provides a window into individual desktops, thereby offering better protection from viruses and cyberattacks, said Bill Carroll, executive vice president at Software Medium, a Dallas-based solution provider.
"No matter what size business you are, you still are under threat," he said.
Carroll said he expects the new security offerings to be highly competitive with comparable products from other antivirus vendors. They should also expand McAfee's market share in this segment, he said.
By providing an enterprise-class management tool, the bundles offer SMBs great value for their money, said Todd Smart, vice president of marketing and business development at Tabin, a Chicago-based solution provider.
"It is a great solution for those smaller businesses," Smart said.
The ePolicy Orchestrator included in the new packages is not a stripped-down version of the console, Menegay said. The technology is the same, but the bundles make it accessible and affordable for the SMB market, he said.
McAfee Security, which is a division of Network Associates, specifically designed the products to be sold by the channel, Menegay said.