3/3/2009 -- Cisco Systems Inc. this week unveiled Cisco IronPort Email Security, a new managed security service that's available in three flavors: Hosted, Hybrid Hosted and Managed.

Cisco says the new services run the gamut of e-mail security basics -- from spam and data-loss protection to e-mail authentication capabilities -- and also deliver reporting features to let customers customize their services.

According to Cisco, unlike some other hosted e-mail security offerings, IronPort Email Security uses a discrete (or dedicated) infrastructure: The service is hosted in Cisco's network of Cisco datacenters. What's more, Cisco officials said, the IronPort service offering supports co-managed device access as well as access to real-time reporting, which gives customers greater control.

"Customers want choice, and because every IT department is unique, offering an e-mail security solution that is hosted, managed or on-premise gives businesses the flexibility and world-class security needed in today's threat environment," said Tom Gillis, vice president and general manager of Cisco's security technology business unit, in a statement.

Gillis and other officials pointed to studies (from Cisco and other researchers) which demonstrate that spam traffic is surging at an unprecedented rate. According to Cisco's Annual Security Report, for example, spam traffic accounts for 200 billion messages a day, or approximately 90 percent of global e-mail traffic. In this respect, Gillis said, Cisco's new IronPort e-mail security services give customers a flexible and scalable means of dealing with unprecedented spam volumes.

"No matter what offering our customers choose, the hallmarks of Cisco IronPort technology remain ease of use, performance and innovative technology. We're offering these benefits in any form factor and in any service to fit customers' unique needs," Gillis said.

Cisco touts a number of value propositions, including remote management and monitoring by Cisco's internal e-mail security experts; the elimination of costly training and ongoing spending for dedicated hardware; and 24x7 support. --Stephen Swoyer