Webroot has launched its first 'software-as-a-service' e-mail security offering, designed to secure messaging for the underserved SMB market.

The company claimed its E-Mail Security SaaS, as the service is known, required no special hardware, software or in-house expertise to run, and can protect against the worst of viruses, spam and other malware that would be likely to hit smaller businesses through e-mail.

As its name suggests, all filtering is applied before e-mail reaches the customer, which pits it against managed products using security gateways. The service also offers data archiving for compliance as well as content filtering, mail encryption and management, image filtering to stop porn, and business continuity for disaster recovery situations.

The core of the service is technology acquired when the company merged with e-mail security provider, Email Systems, last November, but the company has now integrated this with its own anti-spyware and anti-virus software for added desktop control.

In fact, Webroot inherits Email Systems' use of up to five different anti-malware and two different anti-spam engines.

"At enterprise class levels security and security management is difficult and complex and therefore often unfulfilled. This is especially true in SMEs with limited security resources," said Webroot's Mike Irwin.

"SaaS solutions re-define perimeter security by eliminating the pain and cost of hardware and software management. With better manageability, better protection and overall better value, our SME customers can now focus on their mission-critical projects while we provide them with enterprise-class security 24/7."

The launch - or re-launch to be more precise - gives Webroot a customer base of 1,500 businesses and 2.5 million e-mail inboxes across the globe, and marks a diversification away from its traditional roots in consumer PC anti-malware software.

Available in the U.S., U.K. and Asia Pacific, the service comes with free local support and updates for the duration of the subscription. Pricing ranges from £0.20 ($0.40) to £4 per user, per month, depending on sector and modules taken.