Network Encryption Specialist Certes Networks Seeks SIs, Resellers

Certes Networks, which specializes in encrypting traffic over wide area networks, has launched a channel program to engage resellers and service providers involved with private and public cloud deployments.

The company launched its CryptoFlow Reseller Partner Program in June to bolster sales of its new CryptoFlow VPNs, designed to protect sensitive data in mixed physical, virtual and cloud deployments. It also recently inked an agreement with Oldsmar, Fla.-based distributor Global Convergence Inc. (GCI), a parent to Interlink Communication Systems.

The Pittsburgh-based company was founded in 2000 and formerly called CipherOptics until its name change to Certes Networks in 2011. It specializes in variable speed or line-rate encryption appliances that provide high-speed traffic encryption. Executives claim its hardware encryptors differ from traditional SSL VPNs by encrypting traffic on layers 2, 3 and 4, enabling encryption of VoIP, video and other data streams for governments, financial services and other organizations. The company has grown by selling into heavily regulated industries that require multilayer end-to-end encryption, including the payment industry, utilities and health care, said Dean Roth, senior vice president of worldwide sales and business development at Certes.

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The company has transitioned to a 100 percent channel focus, Roth said. In addition to the new volume-based Bronze, Silver and Gold tier programs with discounts and incentives, the company added a portal for registering deals, co-branded marketing and certification programs. An inside sales team continues to work inbound leads but always asks potential clients about their reseller partners, he said.

"Our strategy gives us another partner that we can team up with and teach them about encryption flows and our unique technology approach," Roth said.

Clients interested in Certes are sensitive to protecting end users' personal information or creating outbound links to trusted business partners that require end-to-end encryption, said Nick Giampietro, director of sales at G-Net Solutions, a Certes partner. Giampietro said his firm deployed the technology for a state agency that needed to protect driver's licenses, bank account numbers and other sensitive data over a wide area network, and a large financial firm that sought to encrypt data to a business partner in India.

"There is a level of expertise you need to have to deploy this because customers often have other challenging infrastructure problems," Giampietro said. "Certes has the expertise to back up their partners with support."

The CryptoFlow Reseller Program requires Bronze level partners to maintain one certified sales executive and one certified technical engineer. Silver partners must meet an annual revenue goal of more than $200,000 and maintain two certified sales in addition to one sales engineer. Gold partners must make a $275,000 annual revenue commitment and maintain three sales engineers.

Training is free. Roth said margins increase significantly for Silver and Gold partners. Active partners get lead referrals, can participate in marketing events, and obtain funds for co-branded marketing and other incentives and rebates.

The dangers associated with insider threats are driving attention to Certes and other encryption providers. The company said it's also seeing interest from companies considering a transition away from a trusted network for insiders, clamping down on user access, adding activity and file monitoring and other security measures, including encryption to protect traffic to servers and applications regardless of where they reside.

Certes Networks also is certified VMware-ready and supports open-source Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) implementations. Certes provides its own virtual machine that can reside on a hypervisor. The capability enables an organization to encrypt traffic in a virtualized data center, running encryption of all traffic connecting to each virtual machine.

PUBLISHED JULY 25, 2014