Trend Micro to Expand Data Protection Portfolio With Acquisition of Mobile Armor

CUPERTINO, Calif. and ST. LOUIS, Nov. 29, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Trend Micro Incorporated (TSE: 4704) announced today the signing of a definitive agreement to purchase innovative data protection specialist, Mobile Armor, in a move to expand Trend Micro's data protection product portfolio. Mobile Armor, based in St. Louis, Missouri is majority-owned by Dolphin Equity of New York, New York. Financial terms are not disclosed. The transaction, which is subject to certain closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, is expected to close before December 31, 2010.  

Mobile Armor's data protection offerings provide full-disk, file/folder, and removable media encryption for endpoints. They will complement Trend Micro's existing data loss prevention, email encryption and cloud encryption products. The acquisition furthers Trend Micro's leadership in data protection and encryption from the endpoint to the cloud for all major customer segments. Small and medium businesses, large enterprises, and government organizations will receive unprecedented, centrally-managed data protection while benefiting from a more flexible, effective layer of protection by encrypting data no matter where it resides.

Data protection is a growing concern for businesses. IDC assesses that the market for endpoint encryption is growing at an estimated 14 percent CAGR through 2014. State and national governments are enacting more stringent regulations such as the U.S. HITECH Act, the U.K. Data Protection Act, and the German Federal Data Protection Act. Together with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), such regulations are driving the need to encrypt sensitive information and protect privacy. The increased frequency and cost of data breaches are also accelerating the adoption of encryption as organizations strive to mitigate risks and protect sensitive information from unauthorized access.  

"This acquisition will expand our endpoint security market reach and will provide our customers with proven technology for encrypting data on laptops, tablet PCs, and smartphones. Mobile Armor's solutions further our vision of protecting digital information wherever it resides and complements our recent announcement of Trend Micro SecureCloud for securing and controlling data in the cloud," said Eva Chen, CEO, Trend Micro. "Mobile Armor's endpoint encryption suite will enhance our data protection portfolio for the cloud computing era."

"Security-minded buyers are assured that the Mobile Armor solution is fortified, tested, and proven to have the quality, certifications and critical security features that other data security solutions do not have. For customers, we see Mobile Armor complementing Trend Micro's data protection strategy and contributing to Trend Micro's mobile and cloud security initiatives. Trend Micro's worldwide reach and extensive resources will add value to Mobile Armor's customer base," said Michael Menegay, CEO, Mobile Armor.

"Each year, hundreds of thousands of laptops, phones and removable media devices are estimated by various sources to go missing through loss or theft, to have their data copied without consent, and to be upgraded or exchanged without having their data removed," according to a recent Gartner report*. "Mobile data protection (MDP) is an attractive complement to the endpoint protection (EPP) product suites, which already encompass enterprise antivirus (AV), anti-spyware, personal firewall and desktop host intrusion prevention system."

*Gartner, Inc., Magic Quadrant for Mobile Data Protection, John Girard, Eric Ouellet, September 7, 2010.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in Internet content security, focuses on securing the exchange of digital information for businesses and consumers. A pioneer and industry vanguard, Trend Micro is advancing integrated threat management technology to protect operational continuity, personal information, and property from malware, spam, data leaks and the newest Web threats. Visit TrendWatch at www.trendmicro.com/go/trendwatch to learn more about the latest threats. Trend Micro's flexible solutions, available in multiple form factors, are supported 24/7 by threat intelligence experts around the globe. Many of these solutions are powered by the Trend Micro™ Smart Protection™ Network infrastructure which delivers advanced protection from the cloud, blocking threats in real-time before they reach you. A transnational company, with headquarters in Tokyo, Trend Micro's trusted security solutions are sold through its business partners worldwide. Please visit www.trendmicro.com.

About Mobile Armor

Mobile Armor, Incorporated is an innovator and leader in data encryption and mobile device management technology. Mobile Armor provides domestically developed trusted data security solutions to commercial and government organizations. Notable customers include the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, civilian agencies and customers in healthcare and financial services verticals. The Mobile Armor Data Encryption & Device Management Suite is a centrally managed and fully integrated hardware and software-based encryption solution for desktops, laptops, smartphones, CDs/DVDs, and USB flash drives.  Mobile Armor is the recipient of the coveted DoD Data at Rest Tiger Team award, enabling its solution to be sold to the U.S. government. Mobile Armor technology is FIPS 140-2 Level 2 and 3 validated and is certified to meet the standards for security set by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is also in final review for Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 4+ (EAL-4+) Certification.  

SOURCE Trend Micro Incorporated