Nortel Puts Muscle Behind Security Efforts

The Brampton, Ontario-based networking hardware vendor last week expanded its Layer 4-7 Alteon application switch line and launched the Alteon Expert Advantage Program, which provides partners with added support, higher discounts and rebates on Alteon products.

As Web services take hold among enterprise clients, building security into Layer 4-7 switching platforms is a natural progression, said Oliver Gnass, director of channel strategy at Nortel. "Security has become integral to the success of our enterprise customers," he said.

To that end, Nortel last week introduced the Alteon Switched Firewall 5114, and eight- and 16-port versions of the Alteon Application Switch, which was previously available with a minimum of 24 ports. Nortel also upgraded the Alteon Operating System and the Alteon SSL VPN software.

For solution provider partners, Nortel's Alteon Expert Advantage Program offers technician training and certification. Partners that agree to develop a security business plan with Nortel and meet revenue targets,starting at $200,000 per year,are rewarded with an extra 2 percent up-front product discount. Partners also receive 2 percent of revenue to use toward marketing. Partners that meet revenue goals also receive an additional 2 percent rebate at year's end.

But the program requires that partners show serious commitment to the security space, Gnass said. As an example, a partner that commits to $600,000 per year in security revenue would be required to have three sales reps, two system engineers and one tech support person on staff trained and dedicated to the Alteon line, Gnass said.

David Nahabedian, director of Integration Partners, a Cambridge, Mass.-based Nortel solution provider, said the new program will give his company an edge. "This allows us to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace," he said. "Customers will know we are better able to handle these types of solutions."

Application-layer security features in the Alteon OS 21.0 release include denial-of-service protection, and XML and SOAP inspection functionality for inspecting, classifying and directing Web services traffic.