SMB News Briefs: December 19, 2005

MIRAPOINT M50 POINTS THE WAY TO SECURE E-MAIL

Available only through the channel, M50 Message Server targets small and midsize businesses that want no-fuss, no-muss secure e-mail, some solution providers said. Mirapoint uses its own antispam technology and Sophos&' antivirus tools, both of which are updated as needed.

Mirapoint is a tried-and-true messaging solution that "just runs," said Jamie Stapleton, vice president of CBSi, an e-mail specialist that has used the M50.

Mirapoint&'s appliances compete with offerings from IronPort and CipherTrust, although the Sunnyvale, Calif., company says the M50 is the first SMB appliance to integrate e-mail with antivirus and antispam protection. MSRP for the product is $12,000 per 100 users, not including reseller value-add.

BRINGING PUSH E-MAIL TO SMALL BUSINESSES
In late November, Microsoft upgraded its Solution For Hosted Messaging and Collaboration Software with the goal of bringing push e-mail and corporate data to mobile users in small businesses.

The update supports mobile e-mail and document sharing on Windows Mobile smartphones and PDAs. The ideal customers are small businesses with up to 250 mobile users but without the IT budget to deploy server-based mobile e-mail, according to Microsoft, Redmond, Wash. Many of those customers will work with service providers offering messaging as a hosted service.

The upgrade now supports password synchronization between end-user accounts and the service provider system.

D-LINK SPEEDS TRAFFIC
Small businesses that need to prioritize traffic on their networks should consider D-Link&'s new Wireless QoS Office Router, which features traffic prioritization technology from Ubicom.

Ubicom&'s StreamEngine technology uses a combination of hardware and software to manage Internet traffic and optimize the QoS of bandwidth-intensive applications such as VoIP and video. It automatically gives these applications priority over other activities such as file transfers and e-mail, thereby improving traffic flow and eliminating latency.

D-Link, Fountain Valley, Calif., said the new router also includes support for sharing a USB printer with other users on the office network. It is available now for $129 from D-Link&'s distributors, including CDW, Buy.com and Tiger Direct.

WatchGuard Offers ‘Zero Day&' Protection WatchGuard, Seattle, has upgraded its unified threat management appliances and launched new “zero day” protection services to fight off attacks before a virus signature or patch is available.

The vendor has added antispam, antispyware and Web blocking subscription services to its portfolio and enhanced the remote management features of its appliances.

The annual subscription services will help VARs move from reliance on hardware margins to an annual revenue stream from security customers, said John Stuckey, vice president of marketing at WatchGuard. Instead of using signatures or reputation services to stop spam, WatchGuard&'s appliances monitor malicious Web sites and block e-mail from them, he said.

M5, IP BLUE MOBILIZE HOSTED VoIP OFFERING
Hosted VoIP provider M5 Networks announced a partnership with softphone vendor IP blue Software Solutions on Oct. 3. The two New York-based vendors have integrated their offerings to enable VARs reselling M5&'s hosted VoIP solutions to extend the voice networks out to remote workers.

The IP blue softphone software turns any PC or laptop into a fully functioning VoIP telephone. Once installed, mobile workers can access the M5 Outsourced IP Phone System to make and receive calls and check their voicemail from anywhere in the world without having to carry an IP-enabled phone handset.

Features such as caller ID display, call forwarding, transfer, intercom and speed dial are all available, according to M5. To ensure business-grade reliability, all M5 VoIP customers are routed across M5&'s private network, not the public Internet, and are given two-level redundancy using a T1 line with a backup DSL connection.

IP blue user licenses are downloadable for a one-time fee of $129 per seat. A hosted VoIP service from M5 for a five-seat business customer runs about $190 per seat per month, and drops to as low as $73 per seat per month for a 30-seat environment, according to M5.