TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Microsoft to Buy E-Mail Security Provider

Microsoft to Buy E-Mail Security Provider

Reuters News Wire (reuters@telecom-digest.org)
Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:52:21 -0500

Microsoft Corp. the world's largest software maker, said on
Wednesday that it would buy FrontBridge Technologies Inc., its second
acquisition this year of an e-mail anti-virus protection provider.

FrontBridge provides an outsourcing service that allows companies to
have their e-mail and instant messaging scanned before it reaches
internal corporate networks. FrontBridge's subscription service also
allows companies to back up their messages and comply with
regulations.

In February, Microsoft said it would acquire Sybari Software Inc.,
which develops software that protects e-mail systems from worms and
viruses, as well as spam, or unsolicited e-mail.

Microsoft, which has had a major push over the last three years to
improve the reliability and security of its software, said it expected
to close the FrontBridge acquisition by the end of September. Terms of
the deal were not disclosed.

Asked if Microsoft planned to bundle FrontBridge's services with its
Exchange e-mail server business, Kim Akers, a marketing manager for
Exchange, said that FrontBridge would continue to offer its service
separately as an add-on to Microsoft's products.

"Basically what the customer gets is a clean e-mail stream," said
Akers.

The FrontBridge acquisition is the third major security
software-related acquisition for Microsoft in the last few years.

Last year, Microsoft bought Giant Company Software Inc. to offer
anti-spyware software, which blocks programs that generate unwanted
pop-up ads and secretly record a computer user's activities.

In 2003, Microsoft acquired anti-virus technology provider GeCAD.

Unlike Sybari, companies that use FrontBridge do not have to install
anti-virus software within their networks and instead pay a
subscription fee for such services.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

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