Securepoint is the German market leader in developing professional Unified Threat Management solutions (solutions combining different security tasks on one platform) and the most significant global manufacturer in the cloud sector. The focus is on professional security and applications that bring practical added value.

Jörg Hohmann, Director of Strategic Accounts & Marketing at Securepoint

Past partnerships with renowned antivirus manufacturers have not led to the desired success: Too much was about access to the more than 3,200 Securepoint specialist dealers and too little about the joint strategy. In 2016, the perfect partner was found in the Austrian company IKARUS Security Software. “For us, it is essential to strive for a win-win situation in a partnership where the atmosphere also fits,” says Jörg Hohmann, Director of Strategic Accounts & Marketing at Securepoint, summarising the decision in favour of IKARUS.

From the beginning, the cooperation has worked both on a technical and personal level. This is shown by the numerous mutual visits and meetings from the managing director level to the operational areas of both companies.

“We share the common goal of developing secure and fast technologies that enable a professional level of protection for all companies without hindering operational work,” says IKARUS COO Christian Fritz: “And we share the joy of successful teamwork!”

Securepoint Antivirus Pro is number 1 in the user ranking

The joint projects prove that IKARUS and Securepoint are pulling together technologically. IKARUS developed the client and backend systems for Securepoint Antivirus Pro and IKARUS anti.virus in the cloud, while Securepoint programmed the management portal. A secure programming interface enables the IKARUS servers to communicate with the Securepoint systems so that licensing can be carried out easily with the company’s internal billing system, and the solution can be used via Securepoint’s partner portal.

The development teams of the two companies exchange information almost daily and coordinate the joint roadmaps. The Securepoint support team reports immediately to IKARUS if necessary. This speed of reaction guarantees an absolute competitive advantage. The users agree. Securepoint Antivirus Pro was awarded the “techconsult Professional User Rating 2021” in the category Endpoint Security: More than 2,000 users voted and chose Securepoint Antivirus Pro as the champion!

Strong detection rates and performance

Anti-virus protection is considered standard in every company today. There are two basic requirements: Performance and a strong detection rate. The IKARUS scan.engine, integrated into Securepoint Antivirus Pro, is fundamentally responsible for both. The IKARUS scan.engine works with highly developed, powerful scanning technologies to analyse the content of the most diverse types.

“Our goal was always to develop one of the fastest engines on the market. Slow computers inhibit the enjoyment of work, lead to frustration and – if that solves the problem – to the deactivation of virus protection. We wanted to solve this problem. And with the IKARUS scan.engine we succeeded. Our system is one of the fastest on the international market!” reports Christian Fritz.

Another unique feature of the IKARUS scan.engine is the multi-architecture support for different platforms such as Linux, Windows and Android – ideal prerequisites for the very heterogeneous Securepoint customer structure. And even without an internet connection, excellent detection rates are achieved on all systems.

Jörg Hohmann summarises the advantages: “What excites us about the IKARUS scan.engine is, in short, the performance. The engine does exactly what it is supposed to do: it scans for malware – without bloated features.”

Securepoint primarily addresses end customers in the DACH region via an extensive partner network of specialist dealers. The great benefit for these customers is that they work with uniform interfaces. They also receive everything in the area of service and support from a single source. They particularly appreciate “that the support speaks German and the trained specialists are based in Germany”, says Jörg Hohmann. Currently, more than 250,000 active IT solutions licences are in use, with an upward trend despite the saturated market.

Distribution via an extensive partner network

Securepoint distributes its solutions through more than 3,200 specialised trade partners, mainly located in Germany. The main target group is the small and medium-sized market. While many market competitors focus on the enterprise segment with a few IT contacts and large projects, Securepoint’s most significant customer group consists of companies with one to ten employees. Typical of this is professional groups such as doctors, tax consultants, auditors or lawyers. Due to legal requirements, many of these customers have particularly high demands on IT security and data protection. A well-functioning service and manufacturer support is the prerequisite for sustainable cooperation. This is the only way to optimally fulfil the high-security requirements of the customers at all times.

What does using Antivirus Pro as an endpoint solution mean for the security of workstations and servers in practice? WORTMANN AG, the strategic partner of Securepoint, explains: “With Securepoint Antivirus, we have comprehensive protection that is necessary for every workplace. The integration of the software client is simple and quick. The protection is comprehensive and always up-to-date. The integration was possible with minimal effort.” For more information on this case study, visit www.securepoint.de/produkte/case-studies/wortmann-ag.html.

Numerous honours and awards

In addition to those mentioned earlier, techconsult Professional User Rating 2021, in which Securepoint achieved the highest rating in almost all sub-areas in the competitive comparison, the company also emerged as the winner in the user survey conducted by the trade magazine Channelpartner and the market research agency Context as “Best Manufacturer Security” in the DACH region. The study’s results and the awarding of prizes in a total of 13 manufacturers and five distribution categories with over 2,300 resellers surveyed is one of the most extensive surveys in the channel worldwide. They are an essential assessment of the current situation and important decision-making aid for manufacturers and distributors. These current awards from neutral bodies encourage Securepoint and IKARUS to continue on their chosen path.

IT security as a common challenge

The central task of an endpoint security solution is to find malicious code and prevent it from penetrating a computer network. New technologies play an essential role in this context and must be used in order to be able to guarantee a high level of security in the future. This is the only way to keep pace with cyber attackers and their attack vectors and, in the best case, to think one step ahead. The scan engines are being supplied with data from the data centre ever more quickly through technical innovations because this time is perhaps decisive for the protection of a network in the case of an attack.

With its partner IKARUS, Securepoint wants to design and implement IT security hand in hand. In order to ensure the optimal use of the products, there are partner and training programmes with a focus on permanent further training for system houses and resellers. The prerequisite for obtaining certifications is the successful completion of related training courses. Jörg Hohmann concludes: “The combination of first-class technology, knowledge and innovative concepts, which we constantly develop with our partners, is reflected in our Unified Security strategy.”