San Jose, California based, V Communications, a leading developer and publisher of advanced software utilities, today introduced SystemSuite(TM) 5, VCOM's powerful, all-in-one suite for PC maintenance, security, anti-virus and privacy. This is the first major release of SystemSuite since it was acquired from KrollOntrack in September of 2002.

Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) today announced it is raising the bar for enterprise e-mail security protection by delivering the industry's first integrated best-of-breed antispam, antivirus and content filtering protection in a single software solution for SMTP gateways -- Symantec Mail Security for SMTP 5.0. The combination of technologies proactively protects against inbound and outbound e-mail threats at the earliest point of network entry -- the Internet e-mail (SMTP) gateway. Scheduled to be available in May, Symantec Mail Security for SMTP 5.0 is the final integration of Brightmail and Symantec technologies into a single, unified solution, and is a key component of Symantec Enterprise Messaging Management solution portfolio.

As the volume of spam and viruses in circulation continues to proliferate, small and midsize enterprises are slowly making it the norm to outsource anti-spam and anti-viruses efforts.

Google did not return press inquiries by deadline but GreenBorder, a Mountain View, Calif.-based security company, posted a statement on its Web site, telling users that it has been bought by Google. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Tumbleweed Communications on Monday announced an appliance that runs its MMS 5.5 software, which provides content filtering, secure email, anti-virus and anti-spam capabilities.

Symantec Corp. Tuesday unveiled a new network security appliance, Symantec Gateway Security, that consolidates the features and capabilities of separate Symantec point products.

When choosing an anti-spam solution, there is always an unfortunate trade-off between effectiveness in filtering out spam and the possibility of misidentifying important messages as spam (known as false positives).

What's more convenient than your toaster? Plug it in, chuck in some bread, push the button, and you get toast. That simplicity, of course, is what vendors hope to call to mind by labeling their security products "appliances." E-mail, antivirus, firewalls-you name it and somebody is pushing a piece of hardware that promises both high performance and no-hassle setup. And although they may not all be as easy to use as a toaster, Peter Lindstrom, director of security strategies at the Hurwitz Group, says the appliance hype is generally good news. "It's an indicator that some of these product markets are maturing," he says, although he points to the Web services area as an exception-an immature technology where the word appliance is nonetheless being bandied about.

Part of my role at Sun is responsibility for the certification of antivirus software with Sun StorageTek 5000 NAS Appliances. Certification is the final step of the process required to enable a NAS Appliance to work with an antivirus software product. Prior to certification the NAS Engineering team has to work with the antivirus ISV to ensure that our products work correctly together as all antivirus products work slightly differently.

ProStor Systems, a leading developer of removable disk storage solutions for data protection and archive applications, today announced general availability of its InfiniVault(TM) archive appliance, the world's first removable disk archive solution using the company's market-leading RDX(R) removable disk technology. The InfiniVault product family is sold by a network of high-value resellers throughout North America.