Security Market Bonanza

On the strategic side, TruSecure, Herndon, Va., and Mirage Networks, Austin, Texas, planned to kick off brand-new partner programs Monday.

The TruSecure initiative, dubbed the TruPartner channel program, will be three-tiered, aimed at VARs, systems integrators and large consulting firms interested in selling TruSecure services, including TruSecure IntelliSheild Alert Manager, TruSecure Managed Security Services and access to the TruIntelligence Security Knowledge Network.

Andy Hunn, TruSecure's director of channels and business development, said the program will offer dedicated channel management and training through an elaborate extranet.

The Mirage effort, titled the Registered Advantage Partner Program, will revolve around the company's Mi40 Inverted Firewall solution, and rejects the traditional tiered approach, treating partners equally and rewarding top sellers with additional margins for registering sales leads as soon as they come in.

Todd Cleveland, Mirage's newly appointed director of channels and alliances, said because partners that register leads receive larger margins than those that don't, registering a lead ensures margins on deals that might net less profit if they went out for bid.

He added that providing partners with financial incentives to register leads gives the company an idea of future sales. "For earlier visibility in our pipeline, we're willing to offer an additional incentive," Cleveland said. "To us, it's that important to be able to plan ahead."

On the product side, Teros, Santa Clara, Calif., is slated to unveil a new version of the Teros Secure Application Gateway, while Proofpoint, Cupertino, Calif., just came out with a new version of its Proofpoint Protection Server.

The new Teros device, nicknamed the Teros Gateway, adds learning-based XML attack protection to the product's earlier features, which included protection against HTML attacks.

The new Proofpoint tool, dubbed Proofpoint Protection Server 2.0, is a Red Hat Linux device incorporating new enterprise-grade features that enable organizations to block spam and viruses and ensure that outbound messages comply with e-mail policies as well as local government regulations.

The Teros Gateway is expected to retail at $45,000. Proofpoint CEO Gary Steele said the Proofpoint Protection Server 2.0 will retail for anywhere from $20,000 to $45,000, depending on the level of scalability.

Shaq Khan, CEO of Fortifire, Hayward, Calif., said he expects that the new Proofpoint solution will win his company new customers interested in antivirus protection, and will enable him to upsell services around the device, too.

"Customers are looking for solutions that take very little time to administer and solutions that offer high-end detection and low false-positives," Khan said. "The Proofpoint [appliance] is great for that, and it enables us to sell consulting services as well."