While small companies in Qatar are increasingly using the internet to promote themselves and sell their products, viruses and spam (unwanted commercial e-mail) are reducing efficiency and creating security risks.
A recent Middle East-wide survey by research group IDC found that these problems are exacerbated because up to two-thirds of small businesses do not employ dedicated technology staff and so have to bring in specialist help when they are hit by viruses, raising costs and forcing systems offline.
Security concerns are one of the major challenges being tackled by IDC’s Middle East Small-to-Medium Business Roadshow, which is presenting new strategies for technology management in small businesses in cities across the region.
As Gold Partner for the Roadshow, network security company Trend Micro is presenting new data on its “Worry Free” Security Solutions Campaign for Qatar at the event.
Speaking at the Roadshow, held at the Doha Marriott Hotel in Doha this week, senior executives from the company outlined the objectives of the campaign, and detailed the new technology which can reduce businesses’ dependence upon third-party IT support.
“In October 2005, our research showed that that almost 50 percent of computer users in small and medium businesses said they had noticed growing incidents of spam in the past three months, while 57 percent of respondents believed that ‘phishing’ (data theft) attacks - often launched via spam - had increased within the same timeframe,” says Ghassan Lababidi, marketing manager, Trend Micro.
“We want the ‘worry-free’ campaign to reduce the burden on small business, providing them with technology which can protect them from viruses and reduce the human resources needed to keep systems safe,” he added. “We’re delighted to work with IDC, which is one of the world’s leading research groups, to take new evidence about the importance of this issue across the Middle East region.”
To support the campaign, Trend Micro will work with a range of Qatari partners to ensure that the maximum number of businesses have access to the technology.
Trend Micro have developed a range of software that is designed for easy installation and provide 24/7 protection against malicious code and viruses – automatically maintained by regular scanning and reports issued to a designated administrator.
The Zero Administration function also allows an administrator to quickly understand the level of threat activities and the status of the protection is perhaps the most important for companies with limited IT staff.
Typically, the security solutions needed to protect companies from the likes of viruses, spam and phishing are often neglected due to a lack of funds, staff or expertise. It is for this reason that they have launched two software programmes specifically aimed at the small-and-medium business (SMB) market.
Trend Micro serves the Middle East’s SMB market with a portfolio of products specifically-designed for businesses that typically operate with deliberately limited IT support. These solutions are designed for easy installation and configuration, seek to provide the SMB with a robust functionality with a single interface are sure to be a significant consideration for SMB’s looking at helping reduce the costs of installing, learning, and maintaining a secure business.
About Trend Micro, Inc.
Trend Micro, Inc. is a leader in network antivirus and Internet content security software and services. The Tokyo-based corporation has business units worldwide. Trend Micro products are sold through corporate and value-added resellers and managed service providers. For additional information and evaluation copies of all Trend Micro products, visit our Web site, www.trendmicro-middleeast.com
