Hydra dips deeper into finance

London-based banks targeted as reseller signs deal with Ingrian Networks

Secure e-transaction device vendor Ingrian Networks has signed an agreement with reseller Hydra to expand its reach in the financial sector.

Hydra joins Gradian Systems as the vendor's second Authorised Reseller in the UK.

Ingrian, which sells only through the channel in Europe, is targeting London-based banks and has already signed up Egg as a UK customer. American Express is a global user of the company's technology.

Mark O'Hara, managing director of Hydra, said the Ingrian range fits well with the reseller's security portfolio. "Most of our customers are financial institutions. When people understand the product they want it.

So far all of the banks we have spoken to about it are interested," he said.

O'Hara added that Ingrian had moved its technology "from 'nice to have', to 'need to have'".

Ingrian's e-transaction Privacy Platform product protects data while in transit across a network and in storage as raw data. The technology could help prevent incidents of credit-card fraud where hackers gain access to personal details sitting on a central server.

Morgan Flager, principal architect EMEA at Ingrian, said: "We chose Hydra in order to get good relationships with the financial sector in London, and its focus on security."

Resellers can buy and receive support for the product through distributor EquIP. Flager said Authorised Resellers can buy direct or through EquIP but added that the company was not looking to give more than five resellers this level of accreditation.

Graham Smee, director at EquIP, said there has been a lot of interest in the product from both the channel and end users.

"It will take time to convert this interest into sales, but there has been a lot," he said.

EquIP is currently undergoing end-user product evaluations with resellers.