Steganos, Phoenix Software team up to offer off-the-shelf encryption to RSA consumers.

Steganos, leader in providing security and privacy software for consumers and SMEs, is partnering with Phoenix Software to provide customers in RSA with packaged versions of Steganos products.

The software in these boxes will contain the same functionality as the applications distributed by Steganos as downloads, but will be available to buy on CD-Rom from high street retailers.

Steganos provides award-winning encryption solutions that allow users to fully protect their personal and sensitive data. Although demand for downloaded applications is growing exponentially, demand for boxed software in RSA remains high. Under a new partnership agreement, Phoenix Software will republish boxed editions of Steganos Safe 2008 and Steganos Privacy Suite 2008 and distribute them to retail outlets in RSA.

Phoenix Software is a software republishing and distribution company. Established in 1999, it now has offices in the United Kingdom, Zambia and South Africa, as well as affiliate partnerships in South East Asia and the US. Phoenix will be responsible for packaging and placing Steganos products in retail outlets, as well as providing supplementary advertising and promotional material. The company is targeting major RSA retailers, and will increase the availability of Steganos products.

Steganos`s Safe 2008 allows users to create an unlimited number of virtual safes, up to 256GB each, into which they can drag-and-drop any data they wish to encrypt. This latest version of the software introduces encryption for Microsoft Outlook Express and Windows Mail, as well as protecting the standard version of Outlook. Steganos Safe uses the highly secure Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 256 bit keys.

Steganos Privacy Suite 2008 is the latest version of the encryption application previously known as Steganos Security Suite. The Suite includes Safe 2008, with a larger maximum safe size of 512GB exclusive to the Suite, Steganos Shredder, Internet Trace Destructor, Steganos Password Manager, Steganos Anti-Theft and steganography, which allows users to hide encrypted data in pictures and sound files.

Jason Phillips, Sales Director of Phoenix Software, said: "We`re always on the lookout for innovative software that meets the needs of South African computer users. By working with Steganos, we will be able to introduce affordable encryption software to the high street, which will help Steganos and Phoenix to grow their businesses together."

Aston Fallen, CEO of Steganos, said: "We store more personal data digitally than ever before, and with more and more people using laptops and portable storage devices, the likelihood of important data getting lost or stolen has never been greater. By working with Phoenix Software, we will be able to distribute our encryption applications much more widely in RSA, and raise awareness of how affordable encryption can help everybody to protect their privacy."