Latest Version of Sophos Cloud Unveiled

SOURCE: Sophos

OXFORD, UK – April 29, 2014 – Sophos today announced the latest version of Sophos Cloud, the company’s cloud-based solution for small- and mid-sized organizations seeking a simpler approach to IT security that still provides world-class protection. The new version of Sophos Cloud leapfrogs competitive solutions as the only cloud-managed security service to manage Windows, Mac and mobile devices from a single console. It features user-based management, reporting and licensing; built-in web security to prevent user access to malicious and infected websites, and new policy-based Web Control features to enforce safe and productive web usage. Sophos Cloud is effortless to deploy and easy to use and manage for IT managers and channel partners, given its simple, intuitive user experience.

A recent Sophos survey of IT managers highlighted the growing challenge of device diversity across their organizations, with a need to support Windows PCs, Macs and mobile devices: 78 percent support or plan to support Macs on their corporate networks, and 41 percent see the number of Macs increasing in their corporate environments. A recent IDC study showed that a quarter of SMBs are using mobile device management (MDM) and Sophos is the number one solution. However, 75 percent still have not adopted MDM and with this new release Sophos has made it simpler than ever for those customers to get control of their mobile devices to secure their future. Clearly organizations need an integrated security strategy to support users’ demands to choose their own device (BYOD), while providing IT managers real-time visibility and access to information to keep organizations safe from advanced threats. Sophos Cloud delivers a simple and effective approach for IT organizations to confidently embrace BYOD and to support and protect the wide range of user devices in their environments.

Based on the same proven technology that protects over 100 million devices worldwide, Sophos Cloud is a smart choice for global organizations. It delivers effective mobile device management to keep users productive and corporate information secure. The new web features enable IT managers to easily set and enforce policies for enhanced security and compliance; user-based policies can be created once and rapidly deployed across multiple groups and platforms, and follow the users and their devices even when they are off the network. Sophos Cloud also adds Active Directory synchronization to simplify deployment and management for users and groups.

“IDC predicts that the continuing SMB productivity push will drive cloud and mobility adoption, in a big way; in the U.S., 1/3 of small businesses and almost 3/4 of mid-sized firms are using the cloud, and the share will continue to grow,” reports Raymond Boggs, research vice president at IDC.  “Sophos Cloud can help manage security across Windows, Mac, and mobile devices, which is especially important given the diversity – some might say chaos – of an SMB environment. Its user-based management is well suited to SMBs looking to secure users of corporate devices or their own BYOD equipment. Sophos Cloud will be a useful resource for channel partners to leverage in helping support the resource-limited IT teams of their SMB customers.”

“We’re pleased to deliver this new release of Sophos Cloud, as it’s another positive step in our strategy to use the cloud to create new, innovative solutions to the ever-increasing security challenges faced by small and mid-market businesses today,” said Bill Lucchini, vice president and general manager of Sophos Cloud. “Sophos Cloud is a differentiated offering that enables IT professionals to simplify security management without compromising users’ demands for usability and performance.  We continue to address the market’s desire for powerful simple-to-use solutions to combat the evolving threat landscape. Sophos security delivered with cloud simplicity is clearly resonating with our customers and partners.”

Sophos Cloud: Ideal for IT Solutions Providers
Consistent with Sophos’ commitment to its channel partners, Sophos Cloud enables IT solution providers and outsourcers to deliver value to customers. A unified web-based management console, hosted in the cloud by Sophos, enables complete protection for users and devices, and a new partner dashboard gives partners visibility into, and control over, their customers’ subscriptions, devices and policies.

Sophos Customers and Channel Partners Look Forward to Latest Version of Sophos Cloud
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) is a significant provider of high quality mental health services in the United Kingdom. James Maloy, Device Architect at NHS Trust, said, “By bringing in Sophos Cloud we have created a new paradigm where we are able to actively monitor the status of all machines, ensure they are well protected and make sure our data remains secure.”

Inez Luna, Business Development Manager for Total Tech, a Sophos Partner, said, “The Sophos Cloud roadmap completely aligns with our vision as a ‘security-as-a-service’ company. We add value by managing our clients’ policies, for example, so they can focus on their business without increasing costs.  The Sophos Cloud dashboard provides actionable information, enabling us to be 100% proactive with each one of our clients.”

“Our growing organization required cloud-based security to support Macs and PCs. In deploying Sophos Cloud, we gained a simple and non-invasive solution. I can conveniently schedule real-time scanning to gain all the information I need to proactively do my job. Best of all, Sophos Cloud ensures staff productivity by not getting in the way,” said Ian Lotinsky, Vice President, Engineering, LearnZillion, a company dedicated to championing teachers and supporting their ongoing professional development.

Availability
Sophos Cloud is currently available. For more information or for a 30-day trial, visit: www.sophos.com/cloud

About Sophos
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos’ complete security solutions as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Simple to deploy, manage, and use, Sophos’ award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, mobile and network security solutions are backed by SophosLabs – a global network of threat intelligence centers.