F-Secure ponders subscriptions

Internet security vendor F-Secure is considering a shift to a more subscription based sales model following the launch of its first appliance

Internet security vendor F-Secure is considering a shift to a more subscription based sales model following the launch of its first appliance.

Last week the vendor also launched its first foray into the hardware market by unveiling its Messaging Security Gateway X-Series appliance (CRN, 19 September). It claimed the appliance combines an enterprise-class messaging platform with perimeter security, anti-spam, anti-virus, secure messaging and outbound content security capabilities. It is aimed primarily at the SME marketplace.

Richard Hales, who joined F-Secure as country manager last month, said: “F-Secure has been making malware prevention software for some time and it is our principle to be quicker to market than our competitors. The increasing number of attacks via email, spam, viruses and phishing are putting many firms at risk, but our appliance offers an easy-to-use solution to email security problems.

“It is another product for resellers to go and take to customers concerned with mail performance. In the not too distant future we can see F-Secure moving from selling annual subscriptions to more services based subscriptions for a flat monthly fee,” he said.

However, Dave Ellis, director of e-security at distributor Unipalm said the vendor could have missed the appliance boat.

“F-Secure is quite late to market with this, given that it doesn’t have a very large customer base. My understanding is that it is going for SME customers, but the product looks more like an enterprise high-end or mid-market product and I don’t know if it has the right kind of partners in place to sell that kind of solution,” he said.