Nokia tackles viruses with McAfee tie-up

Nokia has teamed up with McAfee to launch WebShield, allowing antivirus software to be installed on its Nokia Network Application Platform, which is sold to enterprises and service providers.

Nokia has teamed up with McAfee to launch WebShield, allowing antivirus software to be installed on its Nokia Network Application Platform, which is sold to enterprises and service providers.

Bob Brace, vice-president of global channel marketing at Nokia, said: "The two companies have a special relationship. Both are market leaders and are working together to prevent the high damage caused by viruses."

Brace claimed that the combination of Nokia's network security infrastructure expertise and McAfee's antivirus systems will "inevitably lead to innovations".

He said the millions of pounds of damage the Love Bug virus had caused means the market needs new developments in network security. The two companies will develop network security hardware and software as one offering. "With a network, you need a firewall and antivirus equipment," said Brace.

The alliance is already working to prevent viruses being brought in by mobile workers using a network via laptops.

"If you take a laptop out of the office it is under threat from viruses," said Brace. "The virus check should be put on the edge of a network, at the gateway."

However, the products will not be available until after Christmas, although resellers that want to sell network security products can become fully certified Nokia channel partners now.

First published in Computer Reseller News