Security Vendor Koolspan Enhances VAR Program
KoolSpan recently fine-tuned its channel program to create customized partner categories for VARs, systems integrators, service providers and consultants, said Matt Capoccia, vice president of sales at KoolSpan, Bethesda, Md. The company expects the changes to result in higher margins for partners on product sales and maintenance services—in a range of 10 percent to 30 percent—as well as larger discounts based on volume sales and commitment, he added.
KoolSpan’s security platform incorporates token-based authentication and encryption and smart-card technology to enable users to securely connect to the corporate network from any location, using wireless or wired connections. The platform consists of a USB token and a network appliance that communicates with the token and acts as a bridge to the corporate network, Capoccia said.
Embedded smart-card technology on both the token and the appliance enables bi-directional authentication and 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) security for the connection, Capoccia said.
In addition to providing strong encryption, KoolSpan’s security platform is reasonably priced and doesn’t require a lot of management, says Joe Villa, president of Mobile Electron, a solution provider in Tampa, Fla. From a channel perspective, KoolSpan recognizes that leveraging its partners will allow the vendor to gain more exposure in the market, he added.
“[KoolSpan] invests in programs that benefit partners directly, such as direct-mail and e-mail marketing campaigns, and they have their own people I can call to talk to about what’s working and what’s not,” Villa said.
Michael Tanenhaus, vice president of Mavenspire, a solution provider based in Hunt Valley, Md., said his customers use KoolSpan’s platform to create secure tunnels for remote-access and wireless connections.
Tanenhaus added that KoolSpan is taking a sensible approach to growing its channel program and isn’t just signing partners to generate buzz. “KoolSpan is broadening and making room for different types of channel partners, and that is going to help all of us [partners] in the long run,” he said.