Computerlinks strengthens security portfolio
Computerlinks has signed deals with security vendors Sourcefire and Tufin to increase depth across its security portfolio and strengthen potential managed service offerings for the channel.
The first deal with Tufin Technologies, a provider of Network Security Policy Management solutions, extends an existing German agreement to the UK.
The exclusive UK distribution agreement, the first for the vendor, aims to substantially grow its base of 10 active partners to a wider audience. “We will continue to work with those existing partners and offer new services such as lead generation and look to identify new partners,” explains David Caughtry, director of core technology at Computerlinks. “But not over populate the partner community, as this is about quality not quantity.”
In Caughtry’s view the deal is complementary to many of its existing vendors such as Check Point and Juniper. Tufin will continue direct touch but with 100 percent fulfilment through the channel. “It’s a great opportunity [for partners] other than going back and talking about firewall renewals to instead discuss compliance, change control and the automation…the time is right for a lot more things in this space,” he adds.
Caughtry also suggests that managed services can benefit from Tufin and “it’s something we are looking at,” for the ALVEA cloud offering at Computerlinks.
The second deal with Sourcefire adds “next generation” Application Firewall, IDS and IPS to the Computerlinks catalogue. This deal offer potentially more conflict as Computerlinks is a major Check Point distributor. “There is a part overlap [with Checkpoint] but really the core concentration in the first instance is around the IDS IPS offering,” comments Caughtry.
Sourcefire will continue its on-going relationship with Avnet but for “growth reasons, we decided we needed a second distributor,” explains Anthony Perridge, channel director for EMEA at Sourcefire.
Perridge believes that for customers looking for next gen Firewall, there is a logical progression from existing IDS and IPS systems: “If you’re an existing Sourcefire partner or customer, it’s only a licence upgrade to get application control,” says Perridge, instead of selecting a new vendor and platform.
