Astaro, a Sophos company and leading unified threat management provider, has announced the launch of new version of branch office security hardware appliance Astaro Red 10.

The version 2 of the security product offers additional features which make securing remote locations even easier and helps avoid potential lapses in security due to downtime.

Introduced in mid-2010, Astaro has sold over 8,600 Red units worldwide, said a statement from the company.

Astaro Red is the first security solution to offer complete and centrally managed unified threat management and has been recognised as a revolutionary method for securing branch offices, it noted.

It empowers organisations to connect their remote locations to a central location (headquarters) within minutes and without onsite technical expertise, the statement added.

'Our IT office was blown away by Astaro Red. When your IT staff is impressed, you know you made the right choice,” said Mark Brophy, IT director, Turner Padget Graham & Laney.

Using feedback provided by Astaro Red customers and Astaro’s partner community, the company has made several enhancements to the celebrated product.

The next step in the evolution of Astaro Red includes the addition of a USB port, dual firmware support and additional status LEDs which allow for easier diagnostics.

Together, these enhancements make installing and managing branch office security even easier. The new revision is supported by all Astaro Security Gateway software releases starting from V7.508, the statement said.-TradeArabia News Service