Security software provider Unit 4 Agresso has launched a new range of managed services to the Irish market, for protecting businesses from network threats on a round-the-clock basis.
According to Unit 4, businesses will not need to react to suspected threats or attacks after they have already happened. The network operations centre, to which customers connect as part of the service, automatically updates networks once any new viruses have been identified. If malware strikes outside of working hours, small firms don’t face the prospect of having their network vulnerable for several hours at a time.
The managed services product suite includes Check Point’s Safe@Office FireWalls. Other options in the portfolio include: Desktop antivirus: stopping viruses before they can infect customers’ computers. Email antivirus: stopping viruses at the gateway before they can reach local computers. The reporting service offers a monthly detailed analysis of the traffic and any attacks stopped at the gateway. Content Filtering: limits employee access to inappropriate Internet content. The new service adds features to the managed email antivirus system launched last year by Unit 4 Agresso.
By outsourcing security as a managed service, businesses can save up to 80pc of the total cost of installing and maintaining their IT protection software, Unit 4 has claimed. Although the final cost of the Safe@Office service has not been decided, the pricing model will allow organisations to pay for the service in regular monthly instalments instead of incurring a large upfront fee.
The company added that small and medium sized firms are most likely to avail of such a service, as they won’t need to invest time, money or resources to monitor and protect their networks. The third-level education sector is also a keen adopter of managed security as they often lack the IT skills to implement the technology themselves. Large enterprises on the other hand don’t usually outsource security in the same way.
By Gordon Smith
