News

IBM Express Suite Targets SMBs’ Compliance Issues

• By Kathleen Ohlson
• May 11, 2005

In a bid to help SMBs address IT security, reliance and compliance needs, IBM recently announced a new suite of Express hardware, software and services.

Nielsen ReelResearch recently conducted a study for Big Blue, polling 330 business executives in small, medium and large enterprises. More than half the SMB executives say compliance is more challenging than last year, and 64 percent claim their company is addressing these issues. Four in 10 SMB executives plan to both upgrade and buy new applications and infrastructure.

The IBM Express Managed Security Services for e-mail Security addresses medium-sized businesses’ need to mitigate the risks inherent in e-mail communications. E-mail is scanned off-site for spam, viruses and other questionable material before it reaches a company’s network. Pricing is based on a per-seat per-month basis and the level of service. For example, pricing for 250 seats and four services is approximately $4.25 per seat per month.

The IBM eServer OpenPower Network e-Mail Security Express is designed to help SMBs fend off e-mail spam and network viruses on demand, targeting companies with 100 to 1,000 employees that implemented a network e-mail product. Security Express can fit into an existing network without replacing current e-mail servers. The offering includes OpenPower 710 system with Linux and Message Processing Platform by Message Partners, an IBM partner.

The Platform is a network e-mail security application that features integrated automated archiving capability. Pricing for small businesses $4,995 or $144 per month for 36 months, and pricing for medium businesses is $7,950 or $237 per month for 36 months.

Big Blue also plans to introduce an SMB version of the IBM TotalStorage DR550, an integrated data retention and compliance system that helps companies comply with regulations by archiving e-mail, retaining data and preserving electronic business records more efficiently. The SMB version combines storage, server and Tivoli Storage Manager for Data Retention, becoming IBM’s first integrated offering for archiving and retrieving data in non-erasable and non-rewritable formats for SMBs. The DR550 can expand from 1.1 terabytes to 56 terabytes.

The IBM Express Desktop Management Services will automate many tasks SMBs face managing PCs. The service offers backup and recovery, migration, remote IT administration and management, automated updates and password reset. It also includes image and patch management, security and virus protection updates, asset management, SMB helpdesk (chat, remote console takeover and trouble ticketing) and secure data disposal to ensure critical data was wiped clean from a hard drive prior to asset disposal. Pricing is $19 for expansion keys to support an additional 6 to 240 PCs per LAN. Monthly management keys are $10 per IBM PC per month and $13.50 per any vendor PC per month.