CA Bulks Up Gateway Security, Vows Channel-Only Distribution

CA is selling the product through the channel, shipping it to resellers through distributors such as Ingram Micro, Synnex and Tech Data, said George Kafkarkou, senior vice president and general manager of CA's Internet security business unit. "This is a channel-only product," Kafkarkou said.

Resellers are already showing the new product to customers. "We see [sales] starting to ramp up," said Todd O'Bert, president and CEO of Productive Corp., a Minneapolis-based CA channel partner that specializes in security, data storage and IT infrastructure for mid-size companies.

Gateway Security r8.1, previously known as eTrust Secure Content Manager, combines anti-spam, anti-virus and Web filtering at the server level. The software monitors messaging and Web traffic and blocks potential threats, facilitates security compliance, and safeguards against the outbound transmission of confidential information.

The new release offers upgraded spam and URL filtering engines. O'Bert said the latter is particularly welcome because the product's Web filtering capabilities had begun to lag in earlier versions. "We're happy to see that coming back," he said. Also certain to make customers happy is a new Outlook plug-in that gives users more control over their e-mail spam controls. "That was a much needed add-in," O'Bert said. The 8.1 release also offers an enhanced phishing detection system.

For security system administrators the new management console centralizes threat management systems into a single view, said Erik Bertel, principal product manager for the software. The product also offers expanded reporting capabilities as well as scalability and performance enhancements.

Kafkarkou said the gateway security product, available immediately, is being sold through the channel because solution providers have a lot of influence on purchasing decisions among their small and mid-size customers when it comes to security products. He noted that hackers are increasingly targeting SMBs because they are perceived to be more vulnerable than larger businesses.

The new product also presents solution providers with opportunities to sell add-on products and value-added services in such areas as messaging and Web filtering, Bertel said.