Trend Micro Expands Network VirusWall Family

The new models, the NVW 2500 and the NVW 300, complement the Cupertino, Calif.-based security vendor's NVW 1200 device, which allows security administrators to block viruses plus identify and isolate vulnerable network segments.

Bob Hansmann, senior product marketing manager at Trend Micro, said the new products are the "big brother and little sister" of the NVW 1200 device. The NVW 2500 was designed for enterprises, and the NVW 300 was built more for thin-client implementations such as ATMs and airport kiosks, he said.

"The core functionality of the three devices is simple: stop worms, enforce security policies and isolate problems," Hansmann said. "With the new products, we're simply delivering the Network VirusWall features in different packages."

Still, the products have some major differences. The NVW 300 creates a two-way security barrier that protects customer-facing service machines internally and externally, especially for newer Windows-based devices. What's more, the NVW 2500 has Gigabit Ethernet capability and enables solution providers to support high-bandwidth customer network infrastructures under one appliance, whereas the NVW 1200 was limited in bandwidth.

The high-bandwidth support is welcome news to Rick Davis, president of Complete On-Site Solutions. He said the Seneca, S.C.-based solution provider services mostly high-bandwidth networks in the health-care industry, where machines can't have downtime.

"The NVW 2500 now brings us higher throughput for larger LAN/WAN installations and, to me, the most important feature of all: flexible failover," Davis said. "I get a bigger, better box to sell to larger clients while keeping all of the features the NVW has to offer in quality of protection."

Sean Rice, director of sales and marketing at ACP, a Birmingham, Ala.-based solution provider, said he's also looking forward to the NVW 2500. "We definitely feel that [the NVW 2500] will have a direct impact on our bottom line," Rice said. "I have been told by several customers that they were waiting to make a purchase until the unit with the higher throughput was released."

Both devices are expected to ship by Dec. 1. The NVW 2500 is priced at $7,995 and the NVW 300 costs $325.