DUBAI, UAE – November 27th, 2012 – GFI Software™ today launched the latest edition of VIPRE Business, which for the first time provides small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with access to a single solution for antivirus, patch management and Mobile Device Management (MDM), all while maintaining its small footprint.

The newest version of VIPRE Business Premium addresses several of the most pressing security challenges facing administrators today, most notably vulnerabilities in third-party software products, which according to the GFI Malware Response Team, account for up to 75 percent of malware and virus infections that compromise SMB networks.

SMBs are also facing the challenge of managing disparate mobile devices running multiple operating systems, creating new issues and security concerns that didn’t exist just a few years ago. Gartner, Inc. recently predicted that through 2017, 90 percent of enterprises will have two or more mobile operating systems to support, leading 65 percent of companies to adopt MDM to address security concerns related to the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend.* Malware writers have noticed and are actively crafting threats to exploit this new attack vector.

VIPRE Business addresses these challenges by enabling administrators to centrally manage antivirus protection for PCs, Macs and Android devices as well as mobile security for iPhones, iPads and Android smartphones and tablets. VIPRE Business Premium also includes integrated patch management, a firewall, a malicious website blocker and an anti-phishing filter. VIPRE’s new patch management feature in the Premium version automatically finds and applies updates to out-of-date software. It also displays the status of Windows Updates on each computer, and can turn on Windows Updates to keep the operating system fully up to date.

“Our customers pleaded with us to avoid becoming a bloatware producer, like so many other vendors in this space. We really took that to heart and added these new capabilities to VIPRE while at the same time actually speeding up the underlying engine,” said John Spoor, Regional Director-MEA, GFI Software. “The feedback has been incredible, and by automating patch management and MDM in a central console, we’re enabling IT administrators to not only maximize their own efficiency, but that of their users as well.”

New features found in VIPRE Business include:
· Patch management – auto-updates out-of-date software by integrating patch management (available in Premium version)

· Mobile Device Management – maintains integrity of corporate data with remote wipe for smartphones and tablets. Android protection includes antivirus and remote alarm and locate features, and iPad and iPhone protection includes remote lock and password enforcement

· Mac desktop and laptop security – keeps Macs secure and includes a dedicated policy that lets admins configure and centrally manage antivirus on these devices from the VIPRE console

· Unprotected and infected network PC identification – finds unprotected machines and alerts administrator to take action

· Auto-removal of existing antivirus software – eliminates conflicts on the network during installation by automatically removing existing AV solutions

· Removable device scanning – auto-scans USB flash drives and other removable media when plugged or inserted into PCs to prevent infections



Don’t underestimate the hidden cost of bloatware

Most antivirus solutions take up an enormous amount of CPU, leaving employees frustrated and unproductive. In fact, using statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor, GFI research shows that a resource-heavy antivirus solution can cost companies nearly $1,000 in productivity per year for each knowledge worker they employ. VIPRE is optimized to scan for threats quickly, protecting against all types of malware without draining resources or slowing down machines.



Pricing and Availability

VIPRE Antivirus Business and VIPRE Business Premium are now available. An annual subscription for 10 workstations is priced at just $148. The Premium version costs just $176. All subscriptions include threat definition updates, software upgrades, and free tech support by phone, email, chat and forums.

To learn more about VIPRE Antivirus Business please visit http://www.gfi.com/business-antivirus-software, click here to download a free 30-day, full-featured trial, or send an email to vipresales@gfi.com.