Sophos to Acquire Astaro

Sophos has entered into an agreement to acquire Astaro, a privately held provider of network security solutions, headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., and Karlsruhe, Germany.

"The combination of Astaro's comprehensive portfolio of network security solutions alongside our endpoint, mobile and e-mail and web threat and data protection capabilities will enable us to continue to deliver on our vision of providing complete security without complexity wherever the user and company data resides," said Steve Munford, chief executive officer, Sophos.

Astaro, with $56 million in billings and 30 percent year over year growth in 2010, is the fourth largest dedicated unified threat management provider. With more than 56,000 installations in more than 60 countries, Astaro protects business and government networks across the globe against IT security threats. The company currently has more than 220 employees in nine countries spanning three continents, including a significant presence in the EMEA region.

"Demand for network security solutions with more comprehensive and high-quality protection is accelerating fast, and yet companies are struggling with the complexity of multiple security solutions to serve these needs," said Jan Hichert, chief executive officer, Astaro. "We are excited to join forces with Sophos, as we share a common mission and passion for providing the most comprehensive security solutions that are also easy to use. Together, we will deliver to customers the ability to apply consistent security and web and application controls regardless of where the user is or where the network boundary may lie."

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