Webroot to terminate email service in November

Webroot will cease supporting its Email Security Service on November 30 after transitioning customers off the service sooner than expected.

As reported by CloudPro, Webroot has decided to terminate the hosted corporate email system one year earlier than its previous December 2013 deadline.

Mike Malloy, executive vice president of products and strategy for Webroot, said in a statement that after it announced its intent to discontinue providing the Email Security Service in December of 2011, it transitioned more than 80 percent of the customers using the service and fewer than four percent of customers had contracts expiring past 2012.

“Thus we concluded that discontinuing sooner was possiblem" he said.

"We will work with those remaining customers to transition to another provider before the end of their contracts so that we can terminate the service.

"No customer will suffer commercial disruption as a result of this process."

The decision came five months after Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) vendor The Email Laundry confirmed the appointment of former Webroot channel manager Colin Ball, whose specific focus was to migrate former Webroot resellers to The Email Laundry via its new swap out service.

The Email Laundry also said that it had moved a large number of Webroot customers over to its services "since they were left high and dry by their provider".

In response, Webroot said: “While product transitions are part of business for any SaaS organisation, we recognise these transitions can present challenges for a company, as well as its customers and partners.

“Webroot is working with all parties to facilitate as smooth a transition as possible and addressing challenges as they arise. Our decision to move away from archiving doesn't reflect a reduced commitment to our partners; rather, it reflects where we see the internet security industry shifting.”

Webroot also confirmed that with a rapid evolution toward web-based attack -- a transition widely reported as far back as five years ago -- it believed that the future of internet security was in endpoint, web and mobile protection.

Opportunities for competitors

Cloud-based email, web and archiving vendor iCritical said it was offering a hassle-free switching service to Webroot customers, aiming to provide a straightforward migration path and restore faith in security vendors.

Chris Gee, managing director of iCritical, said: “We've had fantastic feedback from a large number of ex-Webroot customers who've successfully transitioned to our services since the first announcement.

"We understand the frustration that Webroot customers must be feeling but believe that our product portfolio and effortless transition process will provide reassurance that there is a credible, focused alternative available.”

Another cloud-based email and web security vendor, Spamina, announced a new line-up of buy-out options for all Webroot resellers to help with all their migration plans.

It also announced a new partner program to give incentives to help them capitalise on the growing demand for cloud-based security solutions and offer value added services to clients.

This article originally appeared at scmagazineuk.com