RSA Security continues to cast off its reputation as an authentication-only vendor as it gears up for the channel launch of its new data leakage prevention (DLP) technology.

The vendor used its EMEA partner summit in Portugal earlier this month to announce that a new appliance version of its DLP offering will be available to the channel in May.

RSA obtained the technology through its recent acquisition of Tablus, a US vendor with no channel presence.

Miles Rippon, area vice president of channels at RSA, said: “This is another product line that our partners can have in a family they are already familiar with.”

Rippon estimated that the European DLP market is already worth $1.5bn (£70m) annually. And he expects the channel response to match partner uptake of its EnVision security information event management technology, which 500 individuals trained were on last year.

But Rippon claimed RSA’s recent decision to cut reseller rebates on renewals for its flagship authentication offering does not signal a shift away from its traditional business.

Partners will now be given double the rebate on new authentication business, he stressed. “We are not de-emphasising authentication; it is just that up until two years ago, we only had one product.”

Marc Chambault, director of European vendor relations at RSA partner Integralis, said: “DLP is very much a growth area for us. To offer it effectively you have to provide risk management and consulting services, which is something we are engaged in developing further. I’m not sure how much of the channel will want to get involved.”