Secure Computing to rationalise distributors

Secure Computing’s local distribution partners will be under pressure to bring lucrative Gold resellers into the fold over the next 12 months as the security appliance maker prepares to rationalise its distribution channel.

The company inherited an “assortment” of distributors from its acquisition of Snapgear in 2003 and Cyberguard in November last year.

Distributor WhiteGold last week joined Blue Sky Industries (inherited from the Cyberguard acquisition) and iTx on the vendor’s enterprise product distribution list.

Snapgear products are being distributed by Server Bits (QLD), Bak IT (Sydney), MPA Systems (Melbourne), TechPlus (Melbourne) and Focus (New Zealand) as well as itX, following itX’s acquisition of Dovetail in January this year.

Speaking to CRN, Eric Krieger (pictured), Australian country manager at Secure Computing, said the company would “tender out” its entire distribution business in 12 months and its distributors were “on notice” to perform.

One out of its three enterprise distributors would miss out, he said. “Those guys will have to chase and appoint Gold [reseller] partners,” he said.

Secure’s Gold partners typically do at least US$1 million in Secure Computing sales each year, Krieger said.

As for the Snapgear distributors, Krieger predicted that “one was going to drop in Victoria and one is going to pickup in Western Australia.”

Secure product range includes the Sidewinder G2, the Cyberguard TSP UTM and Snapgear security appliances, the Global Commander Centre enterprise-class management product, secure content management products Webwasher and SmartFilter and identity and access management products SecureWire and SafeWord.

Commenting on WhiteGold’s appointment Dominic Whitehand, MD at the distributor, said the Secure Computing products are accredited to the EAL 4+ certification, for sale into government and particularly defence gateways. Whitehand said the channel would decide which distributor would drop off over the next 12 months.

Stating his case, Christo Simeonoff, director at Blue Sky Industries, said his distributor was the only full service distributor and education centre for the Secure range of products. “Getting more competition is never positive, but we’re going to peddle hard – we have a unique story to take to the marketplace.”

He agreed that Secure’s enterprise market is probably not big enough for three distributors. “Secure isn’t the best known brand,” he said.