The primary use case of the solution is to future inbound and outbound emails, applying content, filtering policies, and power policies. Basically, the content filter is based on the dictionary words, and most of them integrate SMG with DLP to quarantine emails which violates the data protection policies.
Security Solutions Specialist at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The solution is easy to deploy, and stable, but has an outdated interface
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of the solution is the content filtering policies because the solution offers huge options for configuration, such as hardware manipulation, et cetera, and the dictionaries make the work easier."
- "The solution interface is from 2003 and is outdated. Symantec Messaging Gateway needs to update the interface."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the solution is the content filtering policies because the solution offers huge options for configuration, such as hardware manipulation, et cetera, and the dictionaries make the work easier.
What needs improvement?
The solution interface is from 2003 and is outdated. Symantec Messaging Gateway needs to update the interface.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for six years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I give the stability of the solution a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I give the solution a five out of ten for scalability.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support capabilities are good, but the time response is not good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. I give the initial setup a nine out of ten.
Without counting the deployment time of the appliance, and we only look at the software portion, I believe three hours is sufficient for initial deployment without any advanced policies.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment because the solution can avoid a lot of phishing and infections in our environment.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution a seven out of ten because it is a good solution for email threats, but it is becoming an outdated solution. In the near future, all companies will move their end-spend solutions and their email solutions to the cloud. To maintain an on-premise application in an environment now, I believe is not the best investment.
We require one analyst and one specialist for the deployment and maintenance of the solution.
The solution is becoming outdated because companies are moving towards cloud applications. I believe this solution will become deprecated in the near future because the solution does not integrate with the new COG mail solutions such as Office 365. We can manage the inbound and outbound emails, but we can not have full integration with these solutions.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Technician for infrastructure at SOFIA COOOLBOX PoP SULTAN
Stable, with a user-friendly interface, and has good usability
Pros and Cons
- "What I like most about Symantec Messaging Gateway is its usability. I also find its interface very friendly. The solution has a very good interface."
- "My advice to others who plan to use Symantec Messaging Gateway is that it's a very good product, it's very stable, and it's user-friendly, but the only problem is that it doesn't have good partner support here in Bolivia, where I'm located."
- "What needs to be improved in Symantec Messaging Gateway is its local partner support, as it's not as technical. The support my company gets from the partner isn't good. Vendor support is good, but local partner support isn't. I'm happy with Symantec Messaging Gateway as a solution, but the problem is with its partner support. To me, Symantec Messaging Gateway is a complete solution, but it can be very difficult to search the web for resolutions to issues or problems you experience from it. If this could be improved or resolved in the next release of Symantec Messaging Gateway, then that would be good."
- "What needs to be improved in Symantec Messaging Gateway is its local partner support, as it's not as technical."
What is our primary use case?
We use Symantec Messaging Gateway as an anti-spam solution. We have about twenty domains we use it on, plus our email accounts on Office on the cloud, and for our on-premise console, we utilize Symantec Messaging Gateway.
What is most valuable?
What I like most about Symantec Messaging Gateway is its usability. I also find its interface very friendly. The solution has a very good interface.
What needs improvement?
What needs to be improved in Symantec Messaging Gateway is its local partner support, as it's not as technical. The support my company gets from the partner isn't good. Vendor support is good, but local partner support isn't. I'm happy with Symantec Messaging Gateway as a solution, but the problem is with its partner support.
To me, Symantec Messaging Gateway is a complete solution, but it can be very difficult to search the web for resolutions to issues or problems you experience from it. If this could be improved or resolved in the next release of Symantec Messaging Gateway, then that would be good.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Symantec Messaging Gateway for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Symantec Messaging Gateway is a very stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I don't have information on how scalable Symantec Messaging Gateway is.
How was the initial setup?
Symantec Messaging Gateway had already been implemented when I joined the company, so I'm unable to give information on whether the setup for it was straightforward or complex.
What about the implementation team?
Symantec Messaging Gateway was deployed by two people from the server and database department and three people from the infrastructure department, so a total of five people deployed the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't have any information on the licensing cost for Symantec Messaging Gateway.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We're currently evaluating Fortinet because our main firewall is under Fortinet, so we were under the impression that implementing a solution that has the same brand as our current firewall would be easier.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a customer of Symantec Messaging Gateway.
My company has more than one thousand users of Symantec Messaging Gateway, and everyone within the company uses the solution.
My advice to others who plan to use Symantec Messaging Gateway is that it's a very good product, it's very stable, and it's user-friendly, but the only problem is that it doesn't have good partner support here in Bolivia, where I'm located.
My rating for Symantec Messaging Gateway is eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Symantec Messaging Gateway
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Symantec Messaging Gateway. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,264 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Senior Consultant at SATELITE.COM
Stable solution that's easy to set up
Pros and Cons
- "Messaging Gateway is stable."
- "I've been using Messaging Gateway for ten years."
- "Messaging Gateway's advanced malware detection could be improved."
- "Messaging Gateway's advanced malware detection could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I've been using Messaging Gateway for ten years.
What needs improvement?
Messaging Gateway's advanced malware detection could be improved.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Messaging Gateway is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Messaging Gateway is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
I've had no problems with Symantec's technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Messaging Gateway to other users and rate it nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Analyst at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
A stable on-premise email security solution that's easy to manage, but support could be better
Pros and Cons
- "I like that it's simple and easy to configure, deploy, and manage. The reporting function has all the features we're looking for, and we are fine with that."
- "I like that it's simple and easy to configure, deploy, and manage."
- "What's lacking when you compare it with Proofpoint and other threat protection solutions is that it does the basic stuff, but we need more advanced threat handling."
- "Support could be better. What's also lacking when you compare it with Proofpoint and other threat protection solutions is that it does the basic stuff, but we need more advanced threat handling."
What is our primary use case?
We use it as a perimeter gateway where it scans for spam. We use all the features and configure all the features, like malware and content filtering. But most of the requests come for content filtering, where we need filters based on some specific words or subjects or based on the reports that come from government agencies.
How has it helped my organization?
It helps us by protecting us from spam, and it also checks for viruses.
What is most valuable?
I like that it's simple and easy to configure, deploy, and manage. The reporting function has all the features we're looking for, and we are fine with that.
What needs improvement?
Support could be better. What's also lacking when you compare it with Proofpoint and other threat protection solutions is that it does the basic stuff, but we need more advanced threat handling.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been dealing with Symantec Messaging Gateway for about seven or eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have used it for many years, and I never faced any issues. Even if it crashes, let's say the VM itself rebooted or something, then it does Linux basic things and it comes back online.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have a couple of nodes extended at the moment, and so far, we haven't had any issues with configuration, replication, or when the firmware is updated. It works fine.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support was good before they moved to Broadcom. After it went to Broadcom, the support quality degraded.
How was the initial setup?
It was deployed before I started working on it, but I feel like it was easy.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution. I would tell potential users that it's simple and easy to configure, deploy, and manage.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Symantec Messaging Gateway a seven.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior System Administrator at Pulsar Knowledge Centre Pvt. Ltd.
Good encryption, excellent at blocking spam, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is excellent at blocking spam."
- "The solution is excellent at blocking spam."
- "They have updated the version of the Messaging Gateway and the new features they are adding the need to be re-evaluated. They have done some changes on the policy."
- "Recently, I've had some problems regarding their support. The tech was acquired by Broadcom, and since then, the support part is very bad."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use this solution to encrypt outgoing emails to the recipient. That is why I bought the solution from Symantec Messaging Gateway.
What is most valuable?
The encryption screen messages are very good. No one can hack the emails.
The solution is excellent at blocking spam.
What needs improvement?
Recently, I've had some problems regarding their support. The tech was acquired by Broadcom. Since then, the support part is very bad right. They really need to improve this aspect.
They have updated the version of the Messaging Gateway and the new features they are adding the need to be re-evaluated. They have done some changes on the policy.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I've noticed lately that the solution can be buggy.
I have observed a few updates that have bugs. Right now, the solution is not updated due to some bugs that are coming from the updates. Currently, the company will not pay for the box from the software. That's why virtual appliances are not updating.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've been in touch with technical support and we find that, since the Broadcom takeover, the support is lacking. They're very bad and not helpful at all. We've found that the support team is not able to provide full service to us any longer. When they were just Symantec, before the acquisition, they were quite good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also use McAfee, however, McAfee not working at 100%. Symantec has gone back to 99.9%. Everyone says "our product is at 100%", however, it is not possible. That's due to the fact that everyday hackers are busy finding new ways to breach security.
I like both solutions. I've used them both for the last few years.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty straight forward, however, you need to get the policies right. That part is complex. You need some guidance from support teams, or you need to read some articles or admin guides that can be found on Google.
Deployment took about 30 minutes.
I handle the maintenance on my own. It doesn't require a lot of personnel to manage it.
What about the implementation team?
We used an integrator to assist us with the implementation. They were very helpful and we were satisfied with their level of knowledge.
What other advice do I have?
We're Symantec customers. We don't have a business relationship with the company.
The deployment of the solution is just virtual. We have acquired virtual appliances and we have projects ongoing on the machines.
The product itself is quite good, however, Broadcom needs to step up its support.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Deputy Manager IT at Carl Bechem Lubricants India Pvt. Ltd.
User-friendly, easy to set up, and the malware database is extensive
Pros and Cons
- "The cloud-based interface is very user-friendly."
- "The main thing that I appreciate about this product is that the database of spam, malware, and ransomware is very large."
- "This product would benefit from better integration with Symantec Endpoint Protection."
- "This product would benefit from better integration with Symantec Endpoint Protection."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case is the protection of email. We are linked to Microsoft Office 365 and all of our emails, inbound or outbound, are processed through Symantec.
What is most valuable?
The main thing that I appreciate about this product is that the database of spam, malware, and ransomware is very large. The database capabilities are top-notch.
The level of operation is very good.
The cloud-based interface is very user-friendly.
What needs improvement?
This product would benefit from better integration with Symantec Endpoint Protection. As it is now, these tools work independently and they do not synchronize between themselves. For this reason, the security benefits go down slightly. When things such as email, spam filters, and endpoint protection are synchronized, the security is enhanced.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the Symantec Messaging Gateway for about one and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable product. We receive thousands of emails on a daily basis and it is responsible for filtering those both incoming and outgoing.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scaling usage is very easy to do. We have 150 users in the company.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is good and we have no issues with them. There is an additional charge for support but we are satisfied with it, and everything comes with a cost at the end of the day.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
This is the only email security product that we have used.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is a very easy process. It is step-by-step and not complicated at all. It takes about half an hour to deploy.
Once installed, it is automatically updated so we are always using the latest version.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house team was responsible for deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
A subscription for technical support costs extra.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We continuously compare the performance of this product to others, such as a similar solution by Barracuda Systems. The Symantec solution really stands out in terms of how people rate it.
What other advice do I have?
I highly recommend using the Symantec Messaging Gateway.
I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Security Analyst at Banco de Fomento Angola
Stable platform with a valuable knowledge base
Pros and Cons
- "Symantec Messaging Gateway has a huge knowledge base about phishing, spamming, spoofing, etc."
- "It could be more scalable."
What is most valuable?
Symantec Messaging Gateway has a huge knowledge base about phishing, spamming, spoofing, etc.
What needs improvement?
It is complicated to integrate the product with QRadar. This particular area needs improvement.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable platform.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have three Symantec Messaging Gateway users in our organization. It could be more scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We do not contact them directly. An intermediate corporation contacts the technical support team on our behalf. They have good engineers, but they could respond faster to the queries.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup has medium complexity. It takes six to seven days for installation. However, improvement in the tool might take some more time.
It is easy to maintain and requires three executives to work on it.
What other advice do I have?
It is a good product. I recommend it to others and rate it an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
System Solutions & Enterprise Mobility Management(EMM&MDM) Engineer at Agilis Teoknoloji Çözümleri
Useful advanced content filtering, highly scalable, and simple setup
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Symantec Messaging Gateway are advanced content filtering, malware, and antivirus defense."
- "Since Symantec Messaging Gateway is a Linux-based solution it is stable."
- "Symantec Messaging Gateway can improve detection because most of them are false negatives or false positives that we are trying to troubleshoot. Additionally, we are having routing problems and they are somehow connected to DNS issues."
- "Symantec Messaging Gateway can improve detection because most of them are false negatives or false positives that we are trying to troubleshoot."
What is our primary use case?
Symantec Messaging Gateway is used for email security.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Symantec Messaging Gateway are advanced content filtering, malware, and antivirus defense.
What needs improvement?
Symantec Messaging Gateway can improve detection because most of them are false negatives or false positives that we are trying to troubleshoot. Additionally, we are having routing problems and they are somehow connected to DNS issues.
In a future release, if dynamic variables in content filtering was added it would solve a lot of problems. If we could be able to use some variables or handle the content filtering policies somehow dynamically, such as comparing today's date to a date in the content header of an email. If it was more dynamic list checking instead of static rules we usually adjust on clients.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Symantec Messaging Gateway for approximately three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Since Symantec Messaging Gateway is a Linux-based solution it is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Symantec Messaging Gateway is highly scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support from Symantec Messaging Gateway is good.
I rate the support from Symantec Messaging Gateway a seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Symantec Messaging Gateway is straightforward.
What other advice do I have?
I strongly recommend on-premise email security solutions. I'm strictly against cloud email security solutions, they are very problematic. There is cloud congestion for every kind of cloud-based software and the managed services are very hard to deal with for cloud-based solutions. On-premise solutions are easy to deploy and to troubleshoots. For cloud solutions, downtimes are the most prominent issue we witness. It is really difficult to be a part of cloud-based solutions since it is out of your control.
No one just wants their emails to be blocked or connection failures in their daily lives. That's why the on-premise solutions are the fastest and more manageable solutions.
Some aspects of this solution are going to expire because of the Broadcom acquisition.
I would highly recommend this solution to others.
I rate Symantec Messaging Gateway a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
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