Content

Axway MailGate SC v5.4

MailGate is a secure collaboration gateway appliance which combines email security and content management gateway functionality. MailGate is a comprehensive, appliance-based email security and file-sharing solution that fits into your existing network as a mail transfer agent (MTA).

MailGate has multiple tiers of protection available including mail relay, edge defense for directory harvest attacks and denial-of-service attacks, anti-spam, anti-virus, IP reputation, Secure Mailbox and Secure Folder via DropZone. These options can be used alone or together. MailGate secures bi-directional email streams gateway to gateway using TLS or S/MIME, gateway to desktop using S/MIME, encrypted Secure Envelope or web-based message delivery. The DropZone component is a strong feature. It enables a registered user the ability to securely share files internally or externally to most device types, including desktop, tablet or smartphone. It's available either as an Android or iOS application or as a desktop sync client. MailGate also has its own password enrollment and also integrates with other identity management systems to handle user authentication. The same policies that apply to email for compliance and governance also apply to the secure file and folder sharing. 

The product is delivered either as an on-premise appliance, software (virtual) or a hosted platform. Local and global clustering options are available for high-availability configurations. There are three models of hardware appliance running on Dell hardware and on SUSE Linux 11.3. One can also deploy the software in a VMware or Microsoft Hyper-V environment. We tested the appliance version. The initial setup takes quite a bit of time. We needed to register for an account on the website to gain access to the documentation. That process took over 42 hours to receive account validation. When we finally gained access to the documentation, the instructions were not correct and we needed to work through several issues with the support team. The appliance is setup in steps - first through a terminal-style session to configure network setting and then through a web-based browser. The process is by far more complex and takes a lot longer than the other appliances we tested. On the plus side, the support team was very responsive and was great to work with.

Once we completed basic configuration, the user interface (UI) for managing email is via a web page. The UI is used for dashboard overviews, configuration and management and reporting. The usability is much like maneuvering a website. Once the general relay settings are applied, users can begin to set up policies. Policies are applied to either inbound or outbound messages. One also has to set up policies for filtering and delivery scanning. As an example, virus scanning happens during the delivery phase. This felt a bit complex to us, but given time to really use and understand the tool, we can see how this could be a real benefit. There are a few high-level content filters for sensitive information types that admins can apply. The product also has the ability to decrypt and apply policy to S/MIME encrypted messages without breaking the encryption. .

There are multiple levels of support available. Business level is 18 percent of net price of software and appliances per year and premier level is 22 percent of net price of software and appliances per year. 

Product title
Axway MailGate SC v5.4
Product info
Name: Axway MailGate SC Description: MailGate is a secure collaboration gateway appliance which combines email security and content management gateway functionality. Price: Starts at $8,000, including hardware and first year’s support and maintenance.
Strength
Secure file management between devices; looks to scale well in larger environments.
Weakness
Very complex deployment; ease of use in user interface.
Verdict
A lot of work to deploy anti-virus, anti-spam, IP reputation and high-level content filtering.

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