Symantec to Buy MessageLabs (Email Spam and Web Traffic Filter)

Some interesting security industry news, it seems like Symantec is really setting itself up to be the Microsoft of the security world.

They are buying up anything and everything and merging it into the Symantec borg…things that are successful of course. Their latest acquisition is the popular MessageLabs, a good example of both cloud computing and the software-as-a-service model.

It’s a large market especial with the level of spam and junk on the web companies have to deal with, not only to keep themselves safe from technical threats but also to stop their employees surfing sites that could potentially cause liabilities in the office.

Symantec will pay $695 million for MessageLabs, a security vendor that offers a hosted spam and Web traffic filtering service.

MessageLabs offers its services as a monthly subscription. The filtering is performed within the company’s 14 data centers located around the world, a type of computing known as “software as a service” or cloud computing. It also can route a company’s Web traffic through its filters to block potentially harmful Web sites as well as scan instant messages.

Software-as-a-service offerings have been increasingly popular with businesses since it frees administrators from installing software upgrades and performing other maintenance tasks they would have to do in-house. MessageLabs’ subscribers turn over the management of their e-mail and Web traffic security to the company and do not have to install on-site equipment

It’s a pretty big some of money, but then I guess MesageLabs has some pretty solid financials. They have been around for quite a long time and have a good subscriber base.

This will jump Symantec right up there above Google and Microsoft in this market. It’s always good to have these kind of subscription services too as they provide a steady and dependable income.

For Symantec, the acquisition of MessageLabs gives it an alternative e-mail security offering to BrightMail, the company’s antispam and antivirus appliance.

“We think the opportunity to expand our footprint in the rapidly growing software-as-a-service market is significantly enhanced by this team becoming part of Symantec,” Symantec CEO John Thompson said in a conference call to discuss the deal.

MessageLabs holds a 29.7% share of the hosted security services market, followed by Google, which owns Postini, at 18.7% and Microsoft at 8.7%, according to Symantec. Before this acquisition, Symantec held just 1.1%.

MessageLabs’ service will be integrated into the Symantec Protection Network, an online-based backup, data restoration and remote access service launched in April 2007 for small to midsize businesses. Symantec will put its Protection Network services within MessageLabs’ data centers.

As part of the Symantec Protection Network I hope it doesn’t get slow and bloaty like some of the other Symantec offerings.

I wonder in 5 years if any succesful and/or reasonably large security offering won’t be owned by Google, Microsoft or Symantec!

Source: Network World