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.