Virtuity on the hunt for UK resellers

Stolen laptop vendor appoints Bell Micro as first UK distributor

Stolen laptop protection vendor Virtuity is scouting for UK resellers after striking up its first distribution deal with broadliner Bell Micro.

The start-up’s BackStopp offering allows users to locate stolen mobile devices and wipe sensitive data in as little as 180 seconds.

Virtuity chairman Mike Briercliffe claimed BackStopp stacks up well against market alternatives, including Absolute Software and Alcatel-Lucent’s Laptop Guardian.

“Our competitors’ primary job is to find the device, whereas ours is to kill the data and certify that it has been killed,” he explained.

Virtuity is yet to ship its first units and Briercliffe said Bell would help create a market for the vendor.

Steve Browell, director of Bell’s security division, said: “We have huge traction in endpoint security with McAfee and Symantec, and I think we can get Virtuity a huge market very quickly.”

Browell said BackStopp could provide a lucrative add-on sale for every reseller offering portable devices, particularly those already selling anti-virus and encryption.