Watchguard Announces UTM System For Windows Azure Cloud Platform

Security vendor Watchguard has announced its first unified threat management (UTM) system for Microsoft’s Windows Azure cloud service, as vast amounts of sensitive data, applications and services are exposed in the cloud.

Resellers can use WatchGuard’s XTM security appliances to create a multi-layered defence across network, email, web and content security, it claimed. The security vendor claims to be 100 percent channel oriented.

Hyper-V support

As customers seek the advantages of the cloud while continuing to use their on-premises infrastructure, they will need help in creating the right system, according to Microsoft’s David Aiken, group product marketing manager for Windows Azure. “These customers require secure data access from on-premises networks to the cloud, and WatchGuard’s unified threat management platform helps extend on-premises data centres to the cloud while assuring secure access.”

Now that WatchGuard XTM security appliances support VPN access to the Windows Azure Virtual Network service, it’s possible to link on-premises networks and cloud environments through VPN tunnels.

Watchguard’s reseller partners will be well-placed to offer unified threat management for the hybrid cloud, claimed the vendor, because it is the only company to support the full range of Microsoft platforms. These include Hyper-V support, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, and Hyper-V Server 2012.

Watchguard partners are now qualified to secure public cloud, private network, and virtualised IT environments, the company claimed.

Microsoft’s Windows Azure platform currently accounts for 20 percent of the cloud computing market and will grow to 35 percent within the year according to James Staten, principal analyst at Forrester Research.