UK-based net security firm Sophos is getting into the hardware game with the purchase of all-in-one security appliance firm Astaro. Terms of the deal to acquire privately held Astaro, announced Friday, were not disclosed.

Astaro, with $56m in billings during 2010, is the fourth largest dedicated unified threat management (UTM) provider.

UTM technology offers firewall, intrusion prevention, URL blocking and other functions all in one network security appliance. The approach is designed to make security easier to manage and is typically targeted towards the needs of SMEs and the branch offices of larger corporates.

Sophos said it wanted to offer its existing anti-malware and data protection software alongside Astaro's appliances. Around 220 people work in Astaro's offices in Wilmington, Massachusetts, USA and Karlsruhe, Germany. The Massachusetts office is close to Sophos's US office in Boston, which these days acts as the marketing hub for the firm, which specialises in delivering security products to business. ®