Zix CEO Rick Spurr Discusses Company's Big Google Deal

In an exclusive interview with Benzinga, Zix (NASDAQ: ZIXI) Chairman and CEO Rick Spurr discussed Zix’s recent deal with Google (NASDAQ: GOOG).

Known as GAME, the Google Apps Message Encryption system was put in place to protect Google users’ data.

Spurr clarified: “If a Google Apps user has purchased a service from Google, we are the back end. That means, if they are sending a piece of email that needs to be secured, [for example] if that email leaves the Google ecosystems and needs to go to a Microsoft recipient, or a Yahoo recipient for instance, Google gives that to us and we then deliver that securely over the public Internet to that end user.”

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Zix had been working with Google for seven years prior to the GAME announcement. According to Spurr, the work Zix is doing with Google is not much different than what the company has done in the past -- Zix’s technology is just further integrated.

“The Google solution is an email encryption solution, just as we’ve done for 15 years, but designed explicitly for Google Apps customers.”

Investors liked the announcement; Zix shares gapped up nine percent when the company announced its plans to work with Google.

Shares were last trading at $3.32, down 2.21 percent for the day.

Part One: Zix CEO Rick Spurr Breaks Down The Email Encryption Business

Part Two: Zix CEO Rick Spurr On a Massive New Opportunity