Security provider McAfee has announced the creation of a new business unit, tasked with enhancing and expanding the company’s Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings as well as extending the company’s cloud capabilities.
The new unit will be responsible for all products within McAfee delivered over the Internet, including security scanning services, web and e-mail security services and remote managed host-based security software and hardware, the company said.
The company has named Marc Olesen as senior vice president and general manager of the SaaS Security Business Unit. Olesen was previously vice president of SaaS business at HP and has held executive positions at Qwest Cyber Solutions and BearingPoint.
“McAfee has a history of firsts in the SaaS arena and I will work relentlessly to make McAfee the undisputed leader in security as a service. In today’s economic climate SaaS is an appealing option for IT leaders because of its cost effectiveness. There is significant pressure to reduce spending while maintaining high levels of service, and McAfee’s SaaS offerings help companies do both by allowing them to adopt what they need right now and to adjust as their business needs evolve.”
Dave DeWalt, McAfee president and CEO, said: “We’re positioning McAfee for sustained growth by building the scale and scope the company needs for the future. McAfee has always been a SaaS leader, and the new business unit will enable us to further strengthen our current solutions and introduce new, innovative services. We continue to drive toward our goal of becoming the world’s number one security vendor.”
Analyst firm IDC predicts the SaaS market will reach nearly $20bn in revenue by 2012 from just under $9bn in 2008.
McAfee’s hosted security offerings include Artemis, a real-time malware intelligence service; TrustedSource, which offers real-time correlation of web, e-mail and network traffic; SiteAdvisor, a web security offering that scans 95% of the trafficked web; Total Protection Service; and Email Security Service.
