Pedestal Software Launches Channel Program

Founded in 1996, Pedestal has sold its products direct for the most part, said Bill Andrews, vice president of marketing at the vendor, based here. Pedestal wants to expand its market reach via a select channel of regional integrators and consultants that focus on IT security, he said.

Pedestal's product line features SecurityExpressions, an agent-less solution for auditing Unix, Windows and Linux systems for security settings and patches. The software also can automatically update a system so it complies with policy, Andrews said.

The company's other main product is Intact, software that sits on Windows and Unix servers and looks for changes in settings, files and file attributes. Intact notifies administrators of changes and can recover the original settings.

The Pedestal Software Trusted Security Partners Program is designed for solution providers that offer security integration, assessment and design services, Andrews said. The program has two categories, one for partners who only want to provide services around Pedestal's products and another for partners who provide services but also sell the products. The first category receives a 10 percent discount; the second receives a 25 percent discount.

The program includes sales and technical training, sales collateral, free demonstration software. Pedestal has signed one partner so far and hopes to sign 15 or 20 by the end of the year, Andrews said. The company aims to keep the program selective and will not sell through distribution, he said.

Steve Goldsby, founder and CEO, Integrated Computer Solutions, a security solution provider based in Montgomery, Ala., said Pedestal has been a top-notch partner. The vendor is always ready with engineering support and doesn't take deals direct, he said.

Pedestal's products provide a quick return on investment, and ROI is becoming an essential element in security sales, he said. "If I go into a hospital with nine locations and 2,000 desktops to secure, it's [Pedestal's ROI] a no-brainer," he said.

Andrews said Pedestal targets companies with more than 500 employees and certain verticals such as insurance, health care, and financial services.

The pricing for SecurityExpressions is $495 per server and $30 per desktop/workstation, with volume discounts starting at 10 servers and 100 workstations. Pricing for Intact is $495 per system; volume discounts start at 10 servers.