Trend Micro Makes Hosted E-Mail Play
Launching today, Trend Micro’s offering—dubbed Email Security Services—is specifically designed to address the growing threat posed by botnets, or networks of compromised PCs that hackers can use to distribute spam and malware.
Email Security Services identifies and blocks spam, viruses and other malware at the network gateway, and can identify phishing attacks and act as a filter for illegal or inappropriate content, said John Maddison, senior business director of the network security services group at Tokyo-based Trend Micro.
In addition to responding instantly to threats as they develop, Trend Micro’s service creates opportunities for solution providers to increase their interactions with customers and get recurring revenue, Maddison said.
“The best part for solution providers is that no up-front investment in hardware or software is required,” he said.
End users can either monitor their own security settings through a Web-based management console, or they can let solution providers handle the task through a reseller management console that includes monitoring, report generation and policy development tools, Maddison said.
Companies in the SMB space usually have limited resources to devote to securing their networks, said Delilah Fadhi, vice president of Discovery Integrated Technologies, a solution provider based in Nederland, Texas. She said she has seen growing interest from customers in the type of hosted security service Trend Micro is bringing to market.
“[Hosted security services] are a new mind-set for clients. But I think as they become more prevalent, people will be receptive to higher levels of [remote] security management,” Fadhi said.
Trend Micro’s Email Security Services consists of three tiers. The lowest provides basic antispam protection, the second tier protects against spam, viruses and malicious code, and the third tier adds content filtering and security policy management features. The third level is also where solution providers can increase their margins through the development of customized security policies, according to Maddison.
Emil Bebla, president of Seeb Technologies, a San Jose, Calif.-based solution provider, has tested the antivirus service and says he hasn’t seen a software solution that measures up, especially when it comes to minimizing false positives.
“The fact that it works so well is going to help me get new clients who may be on the fence about whether to go with a hosted security service,” Bebla said, adding that the price of the security service is also very competitive.
Email Security Services is available now and priced starting at $795 annually for 100 users.