CA Releases End-to-End Data Protection for SMBs

Offering security, simplicity and ease, Computer Associates has expanded the release of five Protection Suites aimed at small and midsize businesses.

The goal, according to David Luft, senior vice president of SMB product development at Computer Associates International Inc. of Islandia, N.Y., is to provide an easy-to-use, all-in-one solution that addresses the security, storage and data migration needs of SMBs.

The large and often under-protected SMB market is ripe for full protection against potential data loss, Luft said: “CA has conducted months of extensive research, which shows that SMBs want both security and data protection, and many are also considering PC upgrades in the coming year.”

“CA’s suites offer all the technology they need to address those concerns in a single package, from a single vendor at an attractive price point with great options for upgrades.”

A complete end-to-end solution is exactly what SMBs need, and CA is on the right track, said Chris Liebert, a senior analyst at Yankee Group Research Inc. of Boston, Mass.

“It addresses some of the key challenges SMBs have. It has the magic formula for SMBs: simple installation, an out-of-the-box bundle, and it’s priced where they can afford it with the functionality they need,” she said.

Read details here about Computer Associates’ decision to buy software company Niku.

Ease of implementation, maintenance and management are particularly key for SMBs, Liebert said.

“Take a security solution. There are many software and hardware appliance vendors providing security solutions to SMBs, but then the SMB decision-maker has to figure out which is the best security solution to procure for each component he needs—anti-virus, spyware protection, firewall, etc. This eliminates that problem,” she said.

The five suites CA is offering include CA Desktop Protection Suite for protecting data on desktops and laptops; CA Server Protection Suite for protecting centrally stored and managed data; CA Business Protection Suite for protecting data stored on desktops and servers; CA Business Protection Suite for Microsoft Small Business Server Standard Edition; and CA Business Protection Suite for Microsoft Small Business Server Premium Edition.

The new version also includes Desktop DNA Migrator, which helps users capture and transfer user settings and data during a PC refresh, operating system upgrade or desktop recovery.

Read the full story on eWEEK.com: CA Releases End-to-End Data Protection for SMBs