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Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Redmond, Washington-based software giant, Microsoft, announced the launch of Forefront Client Security at a security product launch event themed "You're In Control" at Beverly Hills. It also announced the System Center Essentials 2007.
Microsoft's Forefront Client Security is designed to help protect business desktops, laptops and server operating systems from viruses, spyware, Trojans and other current and emerging threats.
"Over the last five years, we've done a lot of investment in fundamentally securing our platform, and in the last couple of years we've increased our investments in terms of building a set of security products that augment that platform, and are focused on providing a more complete solution for businesses, said Bob Muglia, senior vice president, Server and Tools Business at Microsoft.
"That's a big deal, Microsoft entering the security marketplace, the security business. We've had some security products in the marketplace for some time, but with this launch, spreading around the world, we're really saying that Microsoft is making a long-term commitment to providing a complete security solution for businesses," he added in his keynote address to business customers and partners.
Muglia pointed out that customers are under increasing pressure to manage the complexity of today's business environment while protecting information against an ever-evolving array of threats. "With Forefront and System Center, we are building integrated solutions on a common management infrastructure, thereby making it easier for organizations to protect their IT assets and deliver high-quality service to their customers," he said.
The Forefront Client Security had already achieved West Coast Labs Checkmark certification, a global standard that certifies information security products to real-world standards.
Outlining Microsoft's vision for integrated security and management solutions, Muglia described how Microsoft was delivering deeper integration with its Forefront and System Center solutions to help customers simplify security management, improve productivity of IT professionals and more closely aligning IT to the needs of their business.
"Forefront is an IT professional's Product"
-Margaret Arakawa, senior director of Security and Access Product Management at Microsoft
Is Forefront interoperable with other operating systems?
So far our client security is for Windows clients, whether it's XP or Vista. But we hope to extend it to other platforms. One great thing about interoperability is that since Forefront was built on System Center products, System Center actually has the capability to manage different types of operating systems, be a partner to build pacts to allow you to manage Linux, Unix or Mainframes.
Will organizations have to replace their investments to rollout Forefront Client Security?
There are companies who have client security solutions in place already. They evaluate what they can buy. We talk to them very extensively. Today, they have basically helped us build this product: we talk to them about what they think of the current solution, what they would like to see improved, who would they like to see the improvements from, etc. They feel Forefront Client Security will enable them to save time and money, and enable them to get information faster.
Which is the target segment for Forefront Client Security?
We are looking at customers from the mid-market through enterprise, in the small business space where customers do not have enough IT staff to manage the desktops and servers. And the Forefront product is an IT professional's product. The same technology is able to scale from a mid-market customer to a very large customer.
What technology do you use for the security devices? Is it based on SSL-VPN, or other end-point security?
Forefront actually aligns business security products. It includes client security, server security products. The Forefront Security for Exchange and SharePoint includes the edge security products like ISA server and IAG, and IAG is a VPN product. They will all be revamped as Forefront.
We have been speaking about the convergence of security and systems management. What about people and cultural aspects?
We don't believe that enterprise customers are going to change dramatically. There will always be IT people or systems management people whose sole job is to ensure that servers and desktops are up and running. There will be security experts also. Our customers feel they do not need two infrastructures. They want a single infrastructure that leverages the skills of both the sides. They wanted Microsoft to build a common infrastructure for management and security.
How has the response been so far to Forefront Client Security?
It has been very good. We already have nine case studies from customers who are very committed to go with our client security. MSIT, Microsoft's IT department, has committed to deploy Client Security on 50,000 desktops. You know, ours is one the most heavily attacked infrastructure in the world-hackers are always trying to attack our clients or servers. We are seeing good response from a wide range of customers, who want to reduce costs and get information faster.
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Microsoft said the delivery of new products under the Forefront and System Center brands were in line with the new industry trend, the convergence of security and systems management. This trend was being driven by a customer need to better manage the complexities of modern-day business, and to protect systems against a fast-evolving threat landscape.
"This convergence is about enabling a greater level of common infrastructure across security and management, and providing tools that help meet the needs of both the security and management IT staff," said Bob Kelly, general manager, Microsoft.
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