New security distributor opens doors

Former Nokia internet communications general manager Vic Whiteley has launched SecureServ, a new distributor selling security products and managed services based on unified threat management (UTM) technology.

SecureServ has signed a distribution agreement with ServGate, a US-based manufacturer of the EdgeForce UTM platform, claimed to prevent network attacks at the gateway with screening of web and email traffic.

Whiteley described ServGate as the "pioneers" in purpose-built UTM devices. "SecureServ is the only Australian agent for the product at the moment," he said. "A lot of people [vendors] are claiming they have UTM boxes but they don't. They're not doing it as a purpose-built box," Whiteley said.

"It is no longer enough to simply dispense boxed product. In a crowded, volatile security market with a large number of vendors, customers want the channel to provide them with specific business security solutions for their needs," he said.

SecureServ is offering managed security services to the channel through local partner manageNET. The distributor would bundle internet gateway provision services with the products and sell that to the reseller channel, he said.

He added that the reseller could "take what they are doing" with security and back-end it into manageNET and earn a recurring revenue stream.

"We want to focus on a few security products and offer a true security service. That's why we haven't gone out and [taken] all these peripheral products," he said.

The distributor has also signed contracts with routing and networking company Retix and Foundry Networks, he said.

SecureServ is operating from a warehouse in Villawood, Sydney, and sales offices in Gordon, Sydney and Hawthorn, Melbourne.

Prior to founding SecureServ, Whiteley had been conducting IT sales training and worked for various companies including IBM, GE, Concurrent Computer Corporation, Honeywell, Allied Telesyn and Nokia.