Sophos is adding to its security solutions portfolio with its Sophos Virtual Web Appliance. Designed to protect and integrate with a variety of virtual environments, the appliances hopefully will make the management of virtual machine security easier. Here’s the scoop …

If you’re maintaining or about to deploy a complete virtual data center, you may be looking for that one last thing to lasso in all VMs and ensure compliance and protection. The Sophos Virtual Web Appliance promises “complete web protection” (malware, URL and content filtering) along with Sophos Managed Appliances software, which allows for remote monitoring and management with a side of automatic updates. According to Sophos, this is the first appliance to integrate on-premise managed services attached to a virtual appliance.

Additionally, the virtual appliance comes equipped with preconfigured provisioning and load balancing options. Sophos maintains the technology eliminates the need for a standalone web gateway appliance. Bonus? A VAR or IT admin can integrate Sophos Virtual Web Appliances with other Sophos-enabled endpoints, offering protection and visibility into all user activities and compliance needs.

If you’re convinced Sophos is the right tool for reducing complexity on the job, Sophos has made it super-easy to deploy. Pop over to VMware’s Virtual Appliance Marketplace and download it. If you’re not sure yet, prospective users can take advantage of a free trial options, too, as pricing options vary.