Whale Hunts For Resellers To Sell Security Appliance

The Fort Lee, N.J.-based company's flagship product, e-Gap Remote Access Appliance, gives resellers the ability to offer customers secure access to applications and files from a Web browser.

Potential partners have the option of becoming a referral partner or reseller partner, the company said. Referral partners are expected to have a complementary application solution or a networking or security practice in place.

PistolStar, a solution provider focused on IBM and Lotus applications, falls into the primary category of partners Whale is aiming for. The Amherst, N.H., company developed an enterprise-wide password management solution and is working with Whale to combine its self-service password management and protection solution with Whale's SSL VPN solution to give customers secure access to their data, said Mark Cochran, vice president of sales at PistolStar.

"We've already closed joint deals and think this referral program is going to be a great opportunity for us with the addition of Whale's product," Cochran said.

Whale is also targeting networking and security resellers, large systems integrators, service providers and partners of Microsoft, Citrix Systems and IBM/Lotus, said Gamiel Gran, vice president of business development and strategic alliances at Whale. The SSL VPN solution is Windows-based, making Microsoft's partners an ideal channel to tap, he said.

Referral partners receive a commission at the close of a business deal and need to participate in joint sales calls, co-marketing and cross-lead-generation activities. To receive discounts off the normal appliance price, resellers must commit to training and support an active demo unit, which Whale provides for free, Gran said.

The goal, he said, is to create a referral ecosystem in which Whale and its partners cross-refer customers. "We're hoping to see an ever-evolving solution come out of this program."