Security vendor Sophos is to acquire Astaro, manufacturer of unified threat management appliances. The move will see the UK firm offering more hardware and potentially move into new markets such as log management and wireless security.
“The combination of Astaro’s comprehensive portfolio of network security solutions alongside our endpoint, mobile, and email and web threat and data protection capabilities will enable us to continue to deliver on our vision of providing complete security without complexity wherever the user and company data resides,” says Steve Munford, CEO at Sophos.
Sophos has not stated how much it is acquiring the privately-held firm, which had $56m in billings and 30 percent year-over-year growth in 2010. By its own reckoning, this makes Astaro the fourth largest dedicated unified threat management (UTM) provider with more than 56,000 installations in over 60 countries.
Although Sophos already offers hardware with its ES range of email appliances, the addition of Astaro will strengthen its portfolio and bring it into new areas such as Security Event Information management.
According to IDC, the market for unified threat management was approximately $2bn worldwide in 2010, with a CAGR of 13 percent 2010-2014.
Astaro has around a dozen accredited partners in the UK currently distributes through Exclusive Networks and Northamber.
