O2 offers Sophos security to SMB customers

(Image credit: Future)

O2 is partnering with Sophos to offer the latter’s security products to the operator’s business customers in the UK.

SMBs will be able to protect smartphones, PCs and servers with Sophos technology and gain the ability to encrypt data on these devices.

Administrators will be able to access a cloud-based security platform to deploy, configure and manage services – making it easier and quicker to secure their IT environments. Additionally, all Sophos products sold through O2 will also come with premium customer support and staff training as part of the package.

O2 Sophos Security

O2 hopes the offer will be attractive to SMBs undergoing digital transformation projects but have limited internal resources. As digitisation will see the increased collection and analysis of data across multiple devices, SMBs will have more end points to protect, while this information becomes increasingly valuable to hackers.

By acting as a trusted partner, O2 can increase customer loyalty and ultimately increase revenues.

“As our customers become increasingly mobile and make greater use of cloud-based services, they have told us that a comprehensive security solution that is simple to manage is key to keeping their business safe,” said Maria Fernandez, director of SMB Sales, O2. “Sophos, with the O2 wraparound support, helps provide the security our customers need, so they can focus on running their business.”

UK-based Sophos, which is in the process of being acquired for £3.1 billion by private equity firm Thomas Bravo, hopes the deal will expand its reach.

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with O2,” added Jonathan Bartholomew, senior director, EMEA Channel at Sophos. “Sophos security has proven itself time and again across the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape and our ultimate aim is to ensure every business everywhere is protected from existing and emerging threats. This agreement makes the sophisticated protection we offer easily and seamlessly available to O2’s small and medium-sized business customers.”

Steve McCaskill is TechRadar Pro's resident mobile industry expert, covering all aspects of the UK and global news, from operators to service providers and everything in between. He is a former editor of Silicon UK and journalist with over a decade's experience in the technology industry, writing about technology, in particular, telecoms, mobile and sports tech, sports, video games and media.