Blue Coat looks for partners to help NetCache transition

Internet security vendor Blue Coat's recent acquisition of Network Appliance's NetCache business will result in product rationalisation, an expanded local client base and recruitment of new channel partners in Australia.

Blue Coat vice-president of worldwide marketing, Steve Mullaney, anticipated NetCache products would only be available for the next six months. Within nine months, willing customers were expected to be transitioned over to Blue Coat's SG product line-up. The vendor would continue to support those that chose to wait until they were due for an upgrade.

Given this aggressive timeline, Blue Coat executives are anxious to set up transition plans for NetCache's client list. The vendor has 50 local customers, including Telstra, the Department of Defence and the top four banks.

To fulfill these jobs, Blue Coat would look to develop its channel partner base, regional sales manager A/NZ for Blue Coat, Wayne Neich. Initial expansion plans would be focused on giving existing NetCache partners the opportunity to get further involved in the sales and services process.

"Network Appliance was largely a direct channel. It had some partners assisting them in small parts of the sales process, but we will give them the opportunity to value-add," Neich said. Channel partners would be entitled to provide a full spectrum of services to customers, from product sale, to implementation, to after service, he said.

Blue Coat is also on the look out for partners in general, and is demanding skills in both networking and security, preferably with Microsoft application experience.

Blue Coat's two-tier distribution model includes distributors, Firewall Systems and LAN Systems. Its largest integration partner is Dimension Data. Neich said the acquisition would give access to a broader client base.

Register now for the ARN Security Forum 2013 on June 4 at the Sydney Mint

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