XO Communications Unveils Cloud-Based Network Security Platform

The company's Enterprise Cloud Security platform offers a network-based firewall and intrusion detection and prevention.

XO Communications launched a cloud-based security platform, which offers small and midsize businesses the ability to deploy and manage comprehensive network-security capabilities across their enterprise networks. As a cloud-based service, Enterprise Cloud Security delivers network-security capabilities for midmarket companies without requiring them to purchase premise-based equipment.

Instead, all the applications are delivered through the XO network as a security as a service offering. In addition, customers can manage their service through an online management portal that provides visibility across the network and the ability to secure new locations and make changes to security policies.

The solution is suited for multi-location companies that are looking to reduce the costs of buying, installing and managing IT and network equipment across their networks. Since all the applications reside in the cloud, IT organizations in industries, such as finance, health care and retail, with widely distributed operations can implement security services without having to manage and maintain the equipment and infrastructure at each location.

"XO Enterprise Cloud Security significantly expands our security services portfolio and represents the continuing expansion of our cloud-based services delivery strategy," said Mike Toplisek, chief marketing officer for XO Business Services at XO Communications. "By offering network security as a service, mid-sized businesses and larger enterprises can simplify the management of their security requirements and leverage our expertise to provide a unified threat-management solution across their enterprise."

Enterprise Cloud Security offers security as a service capabilities, including a network-based firewall, intrusion detection and prevention, a secure Web gateway for Web and content filtering, and secure remote access to corporate networks. The platform represents the continuing evolution in the company's cloud-based services delivery strategy in which converged communications, security and IT infrastructure solutions are delivered over the XO nationwide network.

"With its cloud-security offering, XO Communications provides enterprise customers with comprehensive and cost-effective network security and threat-management capabilities that address enterprises' critical requirements," said Amy Larsen DeCarlo, principal analyst at IT research firm Current Analysis.

In February, XO launched Enterprise Cloud Communications, which integrates a range of IP-telephony features, local and long-distance calling, enterprise-wide HD voice and video, network services, and IP phone sets in a communications as a service, per-user-pricing model to allow IT administrators to deliver and manage voice, video and communications across their business.