Webroot Merges With Email Systems

Webroot has entered the Software as a Service (SaaS) market space by merging with Email Systems. The combined company will offer Web and email security solutions for businesses.

Colorado-based Webroot is well-known for its anti-spyware technology. UK-based Email Systems markets email, Web, and archival solutions using the SaaS model. The company said it has more than 1,500 customers and services approximately 2.5 million inboxes worldwide. The combined company will offer email archiving, image scanning and encryption, anti-spam, anti-phishing and anti-virus services for protecting email and Web traffic.

Brian Burke, Program Director at IDC, said that IDC expects worldwide spending on hosted messaging security services to reach $1.4 billion by 2011. Both companies are banking on rapid adoption of SaaS.

"By joining forces, we are poised to provide one of the most unique and powerful security solutions in the industry. SaaS is a disruptive technology that we've seen grow to dominate business applications and expect to see the same with security," said Neil Hammerton, CEO, Email Systems.

Terms of the merger were not disclosed, however Webroot did say that both companies will continue to operate in their current marketspace in the near term future.