Through this agreement, AsiaPay will resell Qualys' solutions to help customers better prevent, detect and respond to vulnerabilities and threats in real-time. Additionally, AsiaPay will utilize QualysGuard to deliver PCI certification and PCI-related services to their clients.

PCI DSS requires any organization accepting credit card payments to comply with 12 core network and data security requirements. PCI DSS is enforced across the global marketplace, therefore, retailers around the world are challenged to protect customers' confidential information including credit card numbers, contact and billing information. With the proliferation of online transactions in Asia, businesses there have to be as vigilant as ever to combat threats.

Qualys pioneered Security-as-a-Service (SaaS) as the first and only company to deliver security risk and compliance solutions through an on demand, or SaaS, delivery model. With Qualys as part of its security portfolio, AsiaPay will deliver on demand services, minimizing solution maintenance and upgrade requirements. Additionally, customers can scan critical assets, analyze threat data and correlate it immediately - enabling IT administrators to effectively manage risk and produce documentation for regulatory compliance.

Based in Hong Kong, with operational presence in Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and mainland China, AsiaPay provides a comprehensive suite of secure, scalable, function-rich, real-time multi-currency, -channel and -lingual payment processing solutions and technologies on credit and debit cards for banks, corporations, small-to-medium enterprises, charities and individuals. In addition, AsiaPay offers its advanced fraud detection and management capabilities as well as 3D-Secure technology for banks and corporations. As part of its business strategy for market growth in the region, AsiaPay is expanding to PCI-related service offerings to offer one-stop comprehensive payment service solutions to banks and corporations.

"We are excited to be partnering with Qualys to quickly deploy the most robust risk and compliance solution as well as comprehensive PCI offering on the market," said Joseph Chan, CEO of AsiaPay. "With the exponential increase in payment card use in Asia, our customers are seeking best-in-breed technologies that protect their systems and sensitive customer information against the imminent threat of exposure."

"The partnership with AsiaPay illustrates the heightened use of payment cards and the subsequent need to enforce PCI compliance across the Asian region," said Philippe Courtot, chairman and CEO of Qualys. "Additionally, it exemplifies a continuing trend toward adoption of on demand, Security-as-a-Service solutions on a global scale. The market demands real-time visibility into network vulnerabilities while at the same time organizations are hesitant to take on increased operational and hardware expenses. Enterprises are continually looking for ways to improve their security posture while easing their IT burdens and regulatory requirements, and AsiaPay and its customers will benefit from the ability to deploy Qualys' on demand solutions anywhere in the world, quickly."