- Also Named Worldwide Leader in Hosted Messaging Security Market -

31 January, 2008 - MessageLabs, a leading provider of integrated messaging and web security services to businesses worldwide, today announced that it has doubled its customer base in the Middle East market during 2007.

Now protecting more than 200 customers in the region, comprising of tens of thousands of end users throughout the Gulf Cooperative Council, recent additions to MessageLabs customer base include well-known businesses within the financial sector such as Dubai Islamic Bank, RAK Bank and Dubai Bank. Other renowned organisations now receiving superior email security protection from MessageLabs include The Dubai Mercantile Exchange, the premier international energy futures and commodities exchange in the Middle East and Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi's leading integrated Property Development Investment and Management Company.

“Since the millennium the Middle East has experienced exponential rises in Internet usage levels which consequently has made the region more attractive to the cyber-criminals due to the increase in online targets,” said Richard Collins, VP of EMEA. “MessageLabs is committed to delivering Middle East businesses with an unparalleled level of protection against increasingly complex and sophisticated threats such as viruses, spam, phishing attacks and spyware.”

Operating an indirect business model in the region via distributor Computerlinks, MessageLabs has enhanced its Middle Eastern strategic partnership approach by adding further resellers to its partner portfolio including Paramount Computer Systems. Partnering with MessageLabs in UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, Paramount Computer Systems provides information security protection to many key regional organisations. Other new partnerships include Seven Seas and Third Eye Technologies.

MessageLabs has recently been recognized as the worldwide leader in the hosted messaging security market by leading industry analyst IDC, as highlighted in IDC’s 2007 Worldwide Messaging Security Report*. The report identified MessageLabs as a clear market leader in the messaging security hosted services market with 31.7 percent market share, compared to the nearest competitor at 20.1 percent, with revenues fast approaching Symantec, Trend Micro and McAfee. MessageLabs is ranked fourth overall across the worldwide messaging security market out of a total of 40 of the main software, appliance and hosted security services vendors listed.

MessageLabs managed service approach provides organizations with a complete managed security solution, without the hassle, inconvenience or additional cost of traditional software or hardware solutions. These services ensure the integrity of electronic communications, helping businesses to manage and reduce risk while securing their critical infrastructure and business information.

(*IDC, Worldwide Messaging Security 2007-2011 Forecast and 2006 Vendor Shares: DLP, Encryption, and Hosted Services Heating Up, Doc # 209602, December 2007.)

About MessageLabs

MessageLabs is a leading provider of integrated messaging and web security services, with over 18,000 clients ranging from small business to the Fortune 500 located in more than 86 countries. MessageLabs provides a range of managed security services to protect, control, encrypt and archive communications across Email, Web and Instant Messaging.

These services are delivered by MessageLabs globally distributed infrastructure and supported 24/7 by security experts. This provides a convenient and cost-effective solution for managing and reducing risk and providing certainty in the exchange of business information. For more information, please visit www.messagelabs.com.

Media Contacts:

US:
Marissa Vicario, MessageLabs, +1 646 519 8116, mvicario@messagelabs.com,
Hill & Knowlton for MessageLabs, +1 212-885-0552, messagelabs@hillandknowlton.com

EMEA:
Paul Wood, MessageLabs, +44 (0) 1452 627705, pwood@messagelabs.com
Weber Shandwick for MessageLabs, +44 (0) 20 7067 0500, mlukpr@webershandwick.com

APAC:
Andrew Antal, MessageLabs, +61 2 8208 7171, aantal@messagelabs.com
Spectrum Communications for MessageLabs, +61 2 9954 3299, messagelabs@spectrumcomms.com.au