ProofPoint Appliance Stands Guard At E-Mail Gate

The Proofpoint appliance is built for speed. The high-end P1000 model uses four Intel Xeon processors and 8 Gbytes of RAM, and is rated to handle up to 100,000 messages per hour with throughput guaranteed by dual Gigabit Ethernet ports. The unit also includes RAID-based hard drives to increase throughput speeds and provide fault tolerance. Proofpoint also offers the P600 and P800 1u gateways for midsize companies. The P600 and P800 offer message-handling rates of 25,000 and 60,000 messages per hour, respectively.

Proofpoint's appliances secure all e-mail, both incoming and outgoing. This process is enabled by a combination of technologies: policy-based management, a spam-filtering engine and adaptive learning technology. Proofpoint's policy-based management allows administrators to set rules that define acceptable e-mail. The spam-filtering engine is based on adaptive learning technology, so it can quickly identify e-mail that has been defined as spam. The product's adaptive learning capabilities can be configured to take into account a message's method of delivery, domain information, address and/or content. This method proves effective in eliminating false positives, while allowing legitimate e-mail to pass through.

Administrators have many options for dealing with spam. It can be deleted, flagged or redirected. The easiest solution is simply to redirect the spam to a user's spam folder or, at the very least, to tag the subject line with the word 'SPAM' and have the user's desktop e-mail client handle the offending messages. These filtering elements are built around a high-performance message transfer agent that speeds e-mail transportation. The Proofpoint appliance runs a specialized, hardened version of the Linux operating system, and uses hardened components for security and reliability. Failover support and scalability options help to 'future-proof' the appliance and guarantee its reliability.

An integrated virus scanning engine examines each incoming and outgoing e-mail for matching signatures or non-normalized code and can clean or quarantine any infected e-mails almost immediately, thus preventing malicious threats from spreading across a network.

Solution providers will appreciate Proofpoint's ease of use and simple setup. The unit offers plug-and-play simplicity for initial setup chores, and the clean, browser-based console offers intuitive screens and ample help features. For most initial installations, the appliance's default settings are adequate, but solution providers can always return to the setup screen to make changes or fine-tune the unit for better performance. Reporting capabilities are included to easily calculate the unit's effectiveness and determine ROI.

Proofpoint's multilevel channel program designates partners as Platinum, Gold or Silver based on revenue commitment, level of participation in co-marketing activities, number of Proofpoint-trained technical support staff and success of that partner in their respective markets. The program offers lead generation, product discounts and designated Proofpoint technical and sales assistance. A dedicated partner Web site is available, as well as access to an online product demonstration site and free evaluation and beta software.

Proofpoint offers numerous marketing activities, including co-marketing campaigns, joint sales calls and partner recognition awards. Technical training is available in person or on the Web. Pre- and post-sales support, including integration assistance, is also provided. Average solution provider margin is 35 percent. CHANNEL PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS
>ProofPoint Messaging Security Gateway

COMPANY: ProofPoint, Inc.
Cupertino, Calif.
(408) 517-4710
www.proofpoint.com
DISTRIBUTORS: Corporate Technologies, Fortifire, Intrasystems Secure Banking Solutions, Software Spectrum, UDTProtia
AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENTS: None
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CHANNEL RATING:

Note: Recommended status is earned with a score of eight stars out of 10