McAfee signs Wireworx managed services deal

Wireworx, a PC support service for one-man bands and 'microbusinesses', has entered into a pan-European partnership with McAfee, to provide managed security services to its customers.

The deal means a relationship with Symantec will be phased out.

For about £500 per year, Wireworx provides its customers with desktop and mobile PC support, including a backup hard drive.

Andy Jerram, Wireworx MD, said: "Our customers, as users, tend to be generalists. We're not saying they're no good [at supporting themselves], just that first and foremost they're architects or lawyers or consultants. They can't know everything and if they do get hit they're heavily impacted."

The McAfee-Wireworx deal should benefit the security vendor. Sal Viveros, security evangelist at McAfee, said: "As a group, [microbusinesses] are so hard to reach."

But it is also a key building block for Wireworx, which hopes to take the relationship global as it builds out its business.

Analysts have given the managed services approach their blessing. Will Cappelli, research VP at Gartner, told silicon.com that as Global 2000 companies increasingly use "networked but autonomous" professionals, they will need to know they are taken care of.

Earlier this year, silicon.com revealed BP is operating a pilot scheme in the US that allows IT staff to opt out of support in turn for a cash incentive.

Cappelli said: "Managed services, including corporate-class threat protection and other security-related functionalities for microbusinesses and independent professionals represent a significant growth market, virtually unnoticed by vendors and traditional service providers alike."

A recent Wireworx study of microbusinesses that have one to 10 staff, carried out by silicon.com Research, showed almost a third of respondents - 31.9 per cent - describe their approach to internet-borne threats as 'I'm aware that there are some dangers on the internet and as a result have some protection measures in place on my PC but I don't fully understand what I need and exactly how everything works'.

Recent figures from Ontrack Data Recovery have shown that laptops are now the fastest growing category of devices requiring recovery services, often following malware attacks or user error.

Other Wireworx partners include Dell and insurer Hiscox.