Most Cost Effective Server A/V?

[hutchingsp]

What are peoples thoughts on the best combination of value and performance for A/V for Windows servers?

Ideally something that isn't licensed on the number of users, and that isn't hundreds of dollars per server would be useful.

Trend seem to be dropping support for ServerProtect and trying to push people towards using OfficeScan on servers, maybe I'm being paranoid I'm just not a huge fan of what seems like desktop A/V on servers.

[lodore]

Hello hutchingsp,
how many servers does your company have?
what server OS are you running? windows server 2003?
guessing file servers?
i can see what you mean about using what is bacially the desktop av but your paying tons more for it because its a server.
i think the best way to work this out is to contact quite a few av vendors and see what they can offer you.
after all businesses always get better support than home users.

[hutchingsp]

Around 25 or so, all Windows 2003.

Our Trend suite covers us for client and servers, any combination for the number of staff we have, which is a few hundred.

When it comes up for renewal in around six months time I shall be looking closely at all the options, but with virtualization these days it's so easy to be adding a server that I don't want to have to think "Oh I need to buy an additional license" etc.

[hutchingsp]

I'm currently using Scanmail, I intend to look at NOD32 and Kaspersky.

Who else are people using and what have your experiences been please?

Exchange 2003 SP2.

[risl]

Don't know much about these, but http://solutions.drweb.com/exchange/ for Dr.Web's product.

[hutchingsp]

Any thoughts on F-Secure anyone?

[lodore]

-{ Quote: "Any thoughts on F-Secure anyone?" }-
f-secure uses kaspersky engine with extended bases.
along with f-secure own engine,blacklight for rootkits
along with a few other f-secure engines.
used to be quite heavy but its lighter now and is getting lighter with every new version.
very decent package IMO

[hutchingsp]

Hmm I didn't know that, perhaps it's as silly as the name beginning "f-" but I'd got it into my head that it used to use the frisk/f-prot engine, though that was some years back.

I'm asking because it appears ludicrously cheap i.e. we could almost afford to cover everything, desktops, file servers, exchange servers, for the cost of renewing our existing Scanmail license alone.

Where's the catch?!

[lodore]

-{ Quote: "Hmm I didn't know that, perhaps it's as silly as the name beginning "f-" but I'd got it into my head that it used to use the frisk/f-prot engine, though that was some years back.

I'm asking because it appears ludicrously cheap i.e. we could almost afford to cover everything, desktops, file servers, exchange servers, for the cost of renewing our existing Scanmail license alone.

Where's the catch?!" }-
Hello,
yes it did used to use the frisk/f-prot engine, the current versions still have the f-prot macro engine. but this has been taken out in the lastest beta.
there is no catch. its a great product.

[LowWaterMark]

Let's keep in mind that the question here is server versions of AV products, and, the latest question is specifically regarding Exchange Server integration. Generally speaking, these products are rather different than the home packaged versions.

In my experience, for good, stable Exchange server integration, I'd stick with either: Trend Micro's ScanMail (what my company used on all Exchange servers) or Symantec Mail Security (we tested it - it works). I've only heard about F-Secure's Exchange offering, and what I heard was it works, too. But, I've never had it anywhere myself.

For the big server environment in a business, I always recommend staying with one of the big companies. They seem to do Corporate products very well, regardless of whether people like their home and desktop packages.

[hutchingsp]

-{ Quote: "In my experience, for good, stable Exchange server integration" }-

Certainly that is almost the single most important factor as people tend to notice lack of an email service before they notice anything else.

The silly thing is that we have a linux/postfix/mailscanner/clamav box at the perimeter that tends to stop/detect most stuff on the way in, I could count on two hands the number of viruses Scanmail has had to deal with in the last twelve months, which makes me almost reluctant to spend the money, but of course it's my ass on the line and common sense says I need something on the Exchange boxes.

Of course tied in with that is that in six months desktops/servers are up for renewal and if it's the same vendor for everything there are savings to be had in a suite vs. several products.