Trend Micro today launches the new version of the InterScan Messaging Security Virtual Appliance (IMSVA), now a hybrid on-premises/cloud-based solution. And it may have the pleasant side-effect of opening up opportunities to sell managed services. Here’s the scoop.

The basic idea behind IMSVA v8, according to Trend Micro Global Product Marketing Manager Magi Diego, is simply to stop incoming messages in the cloud and scan them for spam and malware while doing the same for outgoing messages on-premises. The former is designed to keep local networks clear and clean, and the latter is to make sure you don’t unknowingly propagate malware.

To that end, Diego says IMSVA now has a web reputation-based spam filtering technology at its heart: the scanner will actually open URLs contained in messages to make sure it doesn’t go somewhere known to be a place end-users shouldn’t go.

The on-premises aspect comes in the form of a VMware-powered virtual appliance, meaning services providers can sell installation and provisioning to their customers in addition to the recurring revenue that can come from subscriptions to the cloud service itself, Magi says. Hybrid solutions mean hybrid revenue models.

John Maddison, VP at Trend Micro, says this move is designed explicitly for their channel partners – the only way their products make it to market is with MSPs and VARs, and he says Trend Micro is invested in keeping them happy.

Trend Micro renamed the product formerly known as InterScan Messaging in favor of the Hosted Email Security brand back in March 2010. It’s interesting to see them revive the InterScan brand for a hybrid solution.

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