Trend Micro has released a gateway appliance for large enterprises as the final piece in its new encryption line up.

The device sits on a company's network and can operate in concert with other email security hardware, according to the company.

Todd Thiemann, Trend Micro's senior director for data protection, told vnunet.com that the company plans a more aggressive push for its email encryption system, which also includes a software client and a hosted service for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The offering will differ from those of traditional Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) encryption systems by being simpler to operate, Thiemann claimed.

Where PKI systems require both sender and receiver to download software prior to receiving the message or retrieving it from a hosted portal, Trend's system allows users to send and receive encrypted emails from their normal clients.

"PKI is out there, but there are issues that hinder its adoption," said Thiemann. "It is good security, but the challenge has been that users need to pre-enrol, and it has been a challenge for users to manipulate."

Trend's system allows users to send and receive the encrypted messages through their normal clients by using either installed software or a web-based service to encode and decode the data.

With the slumping economy and many businesses in dire financial straits, Trend's timing for the release might seem ill-advised. However, Thiemann noted that, at a time when most industries are governed by strict compliance and privacy regulations, email encryption is now vital for many businesses.

"Even as cold economic winds blow there is still a demand for this type of solution," he said. "Even as the economy slows down, businesses have to comply with regulations."