Frontbridge backs VAR

Managed email security provider signs its first UK partner

US managed email security provider Frontbridge has signed Armstrong Adams as its first UK VAR and is looking for more partners.

Frontbridge, which offers outsourced email filtering and email disaster recovery and monitoring, opened its UK office recently.

"We expect the growth of spam emails in the UK and Europe to follow the US," said Frontbridge chief executive Steve Jillings.

"In January 2002 spam accounted for 14 per cent of an average US company's total incoming email. Today that has grown to 72 per cent."

Tim Kipps, director of security software and services reseller Armstrong Adams, said part of the attraction is that Frontbridge is looking only for a small number of resellers.

"Most of our customers are in the financial services sector and want 'defence in depth'. They also get bombarded with spam, and with this [service] they can see how they are saving money," Kipps said.

Alan Lawson, research analyst at Butler Group, said: "This is a massive market opportunity, given that there is very little competition in this area. It will be a good opportunity for resellers to offer value-add."