WatchGuard(R) Technologies, a leader in integrated security platforms, today announced its first Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution for Microsoft’s Windows Azure cloud computing platform. As organizations worldwide continue to pour vast amounts of sensitive data, applications and services into the cloud, secure data access becomes paramount. Now these companies can ensure secure cloud access while leveraging WatchGuard’s comprehensive and multi-layered defense across network, email, web and content security.
Windows Azure’s cloud scalability, speed, and economics make it a compelling option for our customers that want to take advantage of the cloud while continuing to use their on-premises infrastructure,” said David Aiken, Group Product Marketing Manager, Windows Azure, Microsoft.
These customers require secure data access from on-premises networks to the cloud, and WatchGuard’s unified threat management platform helps extend on-V to the cloud using Windows Azure, we need to ensure both a high level of security and seamless data access across multiple environments,” noted Maurice Wornhard, security architect at Cartagena in Norway. “WatchGuard is unique in delivering powerful threat prevention for network, email, web and content across any combination of cloud, network and virtualized environment.
Microsoft’s Windows Azure platform is fast gaining momentum with enterprise customers. It currently accounts for 20 percent of the cloud computing market, a number that is projected to grow to 35 percent within the year according to Forrester Research, Inc., Analyst James Staten in an April 2013 Bloomberg News article, entitled “Microsoft Azure Sales Top $1 Billion Challenging Amazon.
Windows Azure is clearly a compelling solution for organizations that are looking to improve and extend availability, reliability, usefulness and practicality of their IT services,” said Scott Robertson, Vice President for WatchGuard Asia Pacific. “We are pleased to work closely with Microsoft to bring the same level of comprehensive and best-in-class security that companies rely on for private networks to these growing cloud connections.
WatchGuard understands and is concerned how security can be an issue when it is out of the companies’ control, as such may lead to not only money lost but also waste of time and energy in trying to handle it. Its suite of UTM addresses that issue seamlessly hence will meet the expectations of businesses using cloud environments, in particular to keep their customers happy and employees productive with working in the cloud.
