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Silicon Valley's Trend Micro Inc. is a specialist in digital security products. At the end of July, the company announced SecureCloud, a business security platform delivered through Software as a Service. The company had previously specialized in on-premise software, although it also offered TrendSecure, a consumer SaaS security platform. To get more information about Trend Micro's intentions, we spoke to John Maddison, general manager of network security services at Trend Micro.

What inspired Trend Micro to release a product through SaaS?

Maddison: About five years ago, customers started asking if we could provide a service rather than a piece of software for specific applications. Second, the latest generation of threats -- which we've terms web threats -- are so rapid and the need for updates is so rapid that you need a service
infrastructure and traditional updates won't work.

How does SecureCloud integrate with onsite email servers?

Maddison: SecureCloud provides the first line of defense. It's a kind of a gateway in the cloud that filters and scans and provides a security mechanism for email traffic, then passes email traffic on to email services. About 92 percent of email traffic is gone by the time it reaches the reader. It's the first line of defense against attacks.

How can companies be sure of the security of software delivered through SaaS when they don't host the software?

Maddison: Years ago, that was a big concern, but attitudes have changed a lot because some huge companies are using or considering software-as-a-service. Companies have a strict policy in place with operations teams and with anyone who comes in contact with data centers. Tier 1 data centers will be protected by fingerprint scanning and SAS 70.

Do you agree with forecasts that SaaS will eventually become the dominant mode of software delivery?

Maddison: There are a few analyst forecasts that up to 10% of existing software apps will be replaced by SaaS. I see no reason to argue with that. I think there are two elements; certain applications will get replaced but I also see there's a lot of opportunity to complement existing web applications. I don't think SaaS is going to replace traditional software delivery totally.

Do you anticipate additional SaaS releases by TrendMicro in the future?

Maddison: We're looking at probably releasing a new service each quarter and an update on existing services each quarter. One thing that's quite striking is that the SaaS model allows companies to get smaller releases out there more quickly so that, instead of waiting for 12-18 months for a software release, we're able to get smaller releases out there much more quickly. The idea of a new feature on a monthly basis is quite a new model for customers.

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