Orange Business Services bolsters security services with Atheos acquisition

Orange Business Services, the enterprise-focused subsidiary of telecoms operator Orange has acquired French cybersecurity firm Atheos for an undisclosed sum. As part of the deal Orange will integrate Atheos’ 130 cybersecurity experts and personnel, and consolidate its security services under a new brand.

Atheos was founded in 2002 and focused primarily on identity access management before branching out into broader cybersecurity consulting. The company helps large businesses design and implement cybersecurity strategies and will give Orange Business Services a broader domain of expertise in enterprise IT.

“Security is a critical concern for our customers, which means that the provision of robust security services has now become a strategic priority for Orange Business Services,” said Thierry Bonhomme, senior executive vice president, Orange Business Services, adding that the Atheos acquisition will expand the company’s proactive cyberdefense capabilities.

Atheos’ personnel will be integrated into Orange Business Services, which will unify its IT and communications security management services under a new brand Orange CyberDefense.

Security is still seen by many to be a dominant inhibitor of cloud services adoption, where Orange Business Services has expanded its capabilities significantly last year. But this trend has also bolstered the growth rate of the IT security market more broadly, which grew nearly 9 per cent in 2013 to reach $67.2bn according to Gartner.