"CT scan" of IT security world issues channel war cry

Security intelligence start-up RedSeal says SIs and VARs can use its technology to flog other security products

A start-up which bills its technology as the IT security world's answer to a CT scan has spoken of the importance of operating a channel-only model as it gears up for European expansion.

Santa Clara-based RedSeal has been in the UK for several years, working through distributor Exclusive Networks, but is committing extra manpower to EMEA over the next 12 to 24 months after building up a list of 200 clients in its native US.

Aimed at any firm with upwards of 30 Layer 3 devices, RedSeal's proactive security intelligence technology can be provided either as an appliance or software.

Talking to ChannelWeb, RedSeal chief executive Parveen Jain said SIs and VARs are a "huge fan" of the technology because it can be used to quantify what other security technologies end users need.

"We are like a CT or MRI scan for your network – once the channel partner understands what the problem is, they can then sell additional products as the prescription," he said.

Since coming out of retirement to helm RedSeal a year ago, former McAfee bigwig Jain has injected RedSeal's top management line-up with several high-profile execs who have a channel background, including executive vice president of business development Allan Thompson.

Rob Pollard, general manager of EMEA, said: "This is my fifth start-up. Until now, it has always been me trying to convince the US HQ of an American company about the channel. Now it is the other way around."

RedSeal will operate a 100 per cent channel model in EMEA but still does 30 per cent of sales direct in the US.

"I want to see our revenue come through the channel 100 per cent in the next 18 months," Jain said. "Channels do not want to be with you for a year and then go away; they make a long-term commitment, and we want to do the same thing."

RedSeal already has about half a dozen clients in EMEA, including Betfair, which it won in tandem with partner Armadillo. Its 200 US clients include many tech firms including Cisco, which uses Redseal's technology to gain intelligence on the state of its 30,000 Layer 3 devices.

However, Pollard stressed that RedSeal can be deployed across a range of verticals including telecoms, government and banking and finance.

"Because it applies ubiquitously across all sectors you do not have different propositions to learn for each sector," he said.