Software giant Microsoft has revealed plans to acquire private antivirus software company Sybari Software in a move that is calculated to bolster its presence in the enterprise security market. The acquisition price and conditions for Sybari have not been disclosed and the acquisition will be subject to regulatory approval.
Sybari Software’s technology is used by more than 10,000 businesses to protect their messaging and collaboration servers from viruses, worms and spam. Its products provide an additional layer of messaging defense, helping stop threats before they reach end users. Sybari Software’s security solutions are deeply embedded within the server infrastructure they protect, providing a consistently high level of security while maintaining infrastructure reliability and performance.
The planned acquisition of Sybari Software will play a key part in Microsoft’s enterprise security strategy, providing antivirus technologies that shield communications servers and supply customers with multiple-engine protection that can help with increased detection rates of malicious software. Microsoft pointed to a recent ICSA Labs survey whereby email attachments were cited as the means of infection in 88pc of virus incidents in corporate environments, a clear indication that further innovation is required.
Microsoft said its goal is the help secure collaborative environments in order to encourage businesses to foster collaboration among employees and with partners through technology without exposing their networks and assets to attack by malicious code.
It said that the amalgamation of Sybari’s technology into its own enterprise suite will result in enterprises derive greater value from their security investments because Sybari’s software will work with multiple versions of Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes.
“Enterprise customers face a complex set of attacks through their email and collaboration infrastructure,” said Mike Nash, corporate vice-president of the Security Business and Technology Unit at Microsoft.
“Through this acquisition, we’re excited to be able to provide customers with a server-level antivirus solution that delivers advanced file and content-filtering capabilities and the use of multiple scan engines. In this way, customers get choice, high-quality performance and the most up-to-date protection possible.”
By John Kennedy
