SMBs Seeking Security: Blue Coat Has You CoveredSMBs Seeking Security: Blue Coat Has You Covered

There's good news for SMB solution providers that want to help their customers run a more secure operation. Blue Coat Systems, which traditionally sells security solutions to the enterprise, has taken the wraps off of ProxyOne, a preconfigured security appliance for small and midsize businesses.Seizing an opportunity to extend its expertise beyond big corporations, Blue Coat "purpose-built" its latest appliance for easy installation and configuration. "SMBs generally have limited time to research [security] tools," says Sasi Murthy, senior director of product marketing at Blue Coat. "They usually have limited budgets and IT resources as well, with IT generalists that don't have time to figure out how to set up a security system."

At the same time, the growing popularity of social media is putting companies, especially SMBs, at greater risk for security breaches, Murthy says, adding that 30% of small and midsize businesses using social media tools report infection by malware through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. "These companies can't live with or without social media," she adds. Living without it means risking lost opportunities; living with it means risking security. "ProxyOne helps SMBs safely use social networking."

Web-based malware is becoming increasingly sophisticated, Murthy says, adding, "If users are at the 1.0 level and the web is at 2.0, malware is at 3.2." Blue Coat's SMB-targeted appliance offers a preconfigured solution for Web filtering, inline antivirus (AV) scanning, and Web-based reporting. A proxy client extends protection to laptops, and support is available 24x7. The easy-to-use, preconfigured dashboard identifies infected systems and reports data about Web traffic usage, blocked threats, user behavior, and more.

With ProxyOne, SMBs also have access to WebPulse, a cloud service that leverages real-time URL ratings from a community of 70 million users. Once URL requests are analyzed, threat intelligence is shared throughout the cloud community. WebPulse also integrates custom script analyzers, sandboxing, anti-malware and antivirus scanning, and other security technologies.

For the channel, ProxyOne presents an opportunity for recurring revenue. Solution providers can lease the appliance to customers, for example, or they can offer the appliance as a subscription-based managed service. Blue Coat, which sells 100% of its solutions through the channel, is offering partners a try-and-buy deal: For $500 (90% off the list price), resellers can purchase an evaluation unit and offer customers a free 30-day evaluation. If a customer doesn't want to keep the appliance, the solution provider can return it to Blue Coat for credit.