Mirage Networks Unveils Channel Program

The program, dubbed the "Registered Advantage Partner Program," revolves around the company's Mi40 Inverted Firewall solution, an appliance that enables network administrators to identify, slow and compartmentalize threats that bypass pre-existing security solutions.

Greg Stock, vice president of sales and marketing at Mirage Networks, said the program eschews the traditional tiered structure of partner programs and instead aims to treat partners equally, rewarding top sellers with additional margins for "registering" sales leads as soon as they come in.

"We are trying to reward those people who are walking us into the opportunities," he said. "Everyone in our program gets treated equally, but those who get leads and register them with us right away get treated better."

The registration process is simple, Stock said. When a channel partner lines up a sale, that company is encouraged to report the sale back to Mirage headquarters in Austin, Texas. Stock said that because partners who register receive larger margins than those who don't, registering a lead ensures margins on deals that might net less profit if they went out for bid.

Todd Cleveland, the company's newly appointed director of channels and alliances, added that providing partners with financial incentives to register gives Mirage Networks 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."

As Stock explained, the new channel effort also includes market development funds, Webinars and training programs designed to help solution providers get up to speed with the Inverted Firewall solution. Many of these training and certification features are still being developed.

So far, three solution providers have signed up for the Mirage Network channel: Fortrex Technologies, Frederick, Md.; Kairos InfoSec Systems, Austin; and Yellow Dog Networks, Lenexa, Kan. Stock said he expected the number of channel partners to top 20 by June 1.