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Buyers queue up for embattled Blue Sky Industries

Administrators called in after Secure Computing cuts ties with the distributor

Administrators for embattled Sydney distributor, Blue Sky Industries, say they have received several expressions of interest to purchase the business. The news comes after the company called in voluntary administrators, Woodgate and Co, on September 1.

A spokesperson for the administrators said a second creditors' meeting is scheduled at the end of the month. During the administration process, the distributor will continue to trade.

Blue Sky managing director, Christo Simeonoff, indicated it was close to selling the business.

"We have spoken to a number of parties and some of them have given some reason to believe that," he said.

Blue Sky appointed administrators after its distribution agreement with web security vendor, Secure Computing, was terminated. Secure country manager, Eric Krieger, said it had dropped Blue Sky in favour of a sole distribution model with itX.

Secure inherited Blue Sky Industries as a distributor after its acquisition of security player, Cyberguard, in mid-2005. The vendor also had an agreement with Avnet but parted company with the distributor after it purchased Melbourne-based networking player, ChannelWorx, in November last year.

Krieger said it had conducted a 12-month review of its distributors before making a decision in July. Blue Sky Industries was given until September 30, he said.

Secure and itX had been working together for over five years, he added.

“We are aligning with what the other regions are doing,” Krieger said. “A lot of vendors are preferring a sole distribution model as it gives you more ability to influence and manage. We wanted a focused distributor and found itX to be a great company.”

The decision only affects Secure’s enterprise product lines and its SMB distribution ranks will remain unchanged, Krieger said.

Nominations for the 2012 ARN IT Industry Awards open on Tuesday, June 12.

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