Trend Micro bets big on SMB

Security vendor Trend Micro aims to grow its small and midsize business (SMB) revenues, and is confident its new products will help achieve its objective.

Speaking to reporters at the launch of Client Server Security and Client Server Messaging Security, which are both into their third releases, Goh Chee Hoh, Trend Micro's managing director for Asia South, said the worldwide SMB segment is projected to contribute 40 percent to its overall revenues for 2005, up from 20 percent in 2004.

Goh added that the revenue contribution of SMBs to the overall Asia South revenues in 2005 is expected to be about 45 percent. That figure, he said, will increase due to sales of the new Client Server Security and Client Server Messaging Security releases.

"The second version of these products in 2004 brought in US$13 million for Trend Micro in the first quarter of 2005 worldwide. This good performance makes us confident that this new release will increase the regional revenues contributed by SMBs in Asia South to 55 percent in 2006," said Goh.

He added that SMB revenues will overtake the enterprise segment in the next few years but declined to give specific figures.

Client Server Security and Client Server Messaging Security both sport similar features, one of which is the automatic threat protection function. This automates the processes of updating virus signature files, preventing the spread of files with malicious code within the network and cleaning up of the network.

According to Trend Micro, both products are also integrated devices which combine the functions of antivirus, personal firewall, vulnerability assessment and quarantine into one.

While both products can be used on PCs and Windows-based servers, the Client Server Messaging Security is targeted at SMBs that use Microsoft Exchange for e-mail. Its additional features include anti-spam and e-mail content filtering.

Ang Ah Sin, the regional marketing manager for Asia South, said that the second version of the products lacked integrated features. Therefore, the company was determined to make its latest version an integrated product.

Ang pointed out that it was also important to make the products easy to use because managing directors of SMBs have multiple jobs functions, including the role of IT manager.

"The trend in SMBs is that whoever has some technical knowledge will automatically be the IT administrator. So for these people, they want to have products that are simple to use and have automated features," explained Ang.

Client Server Security and Client Server Messaging Security are available in the Asia-Pacific region.