SAN MATEO, Calif. -- Untangle, Inc. (formerly Metavize, Inc.), an emerging leader in simplifying the way small businesses get the information technology they need, today announced it is making its entire on-demand software offering free for more than five million U.S. businesses with 10 or fewer users. In addition to Untangle's free offering, the company today also announced reduced pricing for companies with more than 11 users.

Untangle provides small businesses with a suite of software products that makes it dramatically simpler for small businesses to control network activity that reduces productivity, breaks computers, or puts data at risk. The free software, available as a download, on CD, or pre-loaded on a server, provides small businesses with enterprise-level protection, but has been specifically designed to be easy to set up and use by small businesses with part-time or small IT staffs. In a separate release today, Untangle announced its name change, new executives, and new funding (see release titled, "Metavize Becomes 'Untangle,' Announces New Executive Team and $10.5 Million in Series A Financing," dated Dec. 11).

"Learning from the success of AOL's free Instant Messenger and Adobe's free Acrobat Reader, we are implementing a free-based-or what has recently been labeled as a 'freemium'-strategy," said Raul Mujica, vice president of marketing for Untangle and former general manager at America Online. "Our free offering will spur adoption and generate word-of-mouth between our free customers and their friends and associates at larger companies."

Untangle Inc.