GFI Software Launches Hosted Email Security
The hosted email security market is getting pretty darn crowded. While companies like Exchange Defender, Reflexion and SpamSoap continue to network at MSP-centric events, upstarts like GFI Software are making hosted email security moves. Here’s a quick look at GFI’s strategy.
In recent days, GFI has launched GFI MAX MailProtection and GFI MAX MailEdge. According to a company spokeswoman, “The new hosted email security and continuity solutions aim to give SMBs the ‘best of both worlds’ by enabling them to leverage cloud-based security as well as their existing onsite security investments.”
The spokeswoman says:
- GFI MAX MailProtection offers SMBs a multi-layered approach to spam filtering in the cloud to stop spam, viruses, and other email threats before they reach the network or mail server.
- GFI MAX MailEdge effectively allows SMBs to “dip there toe in cloud security” and is designed specifically to be used only in combination with an existing on-premise software or hardware anti-spam/anti-virus solution.
GFI first caught my attention when the company acquired HoundDog Technologies. In some ways, HoundDog (now rebranded as GFIMax Remote Management), competes with remote monitoring and management tools like Kaseya, Level Platforms and N-able.
Clearly, GFI MAX intends to tackle new markets. I need to check in with the company to see if the GFI Max MailProtection and GFI MAX MailEdge initiatives offer opportunities to MSPs.
In the meantime, the email security market remains crowded. In addition to traditional players like Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro and a range of anti-virus companies, upstarts like Exchange Defender, Reflexion and SpamSoap have been networking aggressively with MSPs.
Proofpoint is an industry leader recognized by Gartner (Most Visionary), IDC (Fastest Growing Email Security Company) and SC Magazine and has been providing an On Demand Saas offering for email security for a long time now. Way before those you see being offering today. Where this is a new unmatured and unproven technology for folks like GFI, it’s a mature service set for Proofpoint. Check out the service offering and the 3000+ enterprise customers at http://www.proofpoint.com.
I’ve seen way too many articles and press releases on new service releases and features/functions that have in reality been around and offered for years by a technology leader like Proofpoint.
http://www.proofpoint.com
Robert: Is it safe to say you work for Proofpoint?
-jp
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your concerns, to allay your concerns, in actual fact, GFI recently acquired Katharion, who have been in this particular business since 2003.
As a result, Katharion AV amp; SPAM protection have been ‘re-badged’ as GFI MAX Edge and GFI MAX Protection and consequently have been around a long time. Which as you say, is very important.
Chris Martin
GFI Software
All the best,
Chris
MessageLabs / Symantec Hosted Services is the true global leader in this business with over 30.000 business customer, serving over 60% of the fortune 500. No other competitor scans more than 4 billion smtp connection and offers a 100% guarantee against know and unknown viuses and malware- good buy competitors. (sorry GFI is not even in the top 30 list of global suppliers for messaging security, lead by Symantec/Messagelabs.
It is great that GFI will get into this business now too – the market needs awareness for sureley the best solution – Hosted Services / Managed Services.
further information: http://www.messagelabs.com
Michael: Thanks for the perspectives. A question about the Symantec/MessageLab penetration in 60% of Fortune 500 companies. Do those engagements involve third-party MSPs?
-jp
Well if you can’t buy mspmentor.net advertising apparently the next best thing is pounding the comment board 🙂
Congrats on extending the flinging match past the Autotask amp; Connectwise warfare 🙂
-Vlad
Vlad: I concede… sometimes our commitment to open comment areas backfires. Lots of marketing-led claims this time around. But hopefully readers find some of the discussion helpful… …
-jp
Hey,
As long as vendors are spamming the discussion list, I’ll throw in a word for our hosted anti-spam solution at http://www.roaringpenguin.com/products/hosted-canit-antispam
We’ve been in the anti-spam business for a decade now, and our customers love us.
David: Welcome to the party. Thanks for disclosing you affiliation. Sorry I had overlooked Roaring Penguin. Saw your team at several recent MSP events.
Best
-jp
It should be noted that even though GFI might be new to the hosted email security business, its hardly new to anti spam/ email security technology. Its GFI MailEssentials anti spam product has more then 100,000 installed servers worldwide and it was one of the first to launch an anti spam amp; email security gateway back in 97.
And I am not (no longer) affiliated with GFI – i was the founder of the company but have not been involved since 2005. Just wanted to set the record straight after reading Proofpoints comment wanting to proove a point 🙂