Neoteris nets Sphinx in distribution deal
Vendor signs second distributor after being acquired by NetScreen
Neoteris has signed a distribution agreement with Sphinx, in a move that signals its continued channel commitment following its acquisition by NetScreen, itself the recent target of an acquisition by Juniper Networks.
Sphinx, a value-added distributor which already sells products from NetScreen, will take on Neoteris's range of secure socket layer virtual private network (SSL VPN) products in March.
NetScreen declined to comment on the news, but Mark Hatton, managing director of Sphinx, confirmed the deal and claimed it was a good fit.
Hatton said the addition of the vendor's SSL VPNs sits comfortably with Sphinx's existing portfolio. "Our NetScreen business is going well, and Neoteris is a natural follow-on from that," he said.
Since Juniper's acquisition of NetScreen VARs have been on tenterhooks waiting for channel changes. The Sphinx deal gives Neoteris two distributors selling its own and NetScreen's products together.
Hatton added that Juniper's move to acquire NetScreen is good news. "The acquisition of NetScreen is for two reasons: technology and routes to market, because Juniper plays in the telco market while NetScreen and Neoteris are in the enterprise sector," he said.
"Bringing technologies together and selling through the channel is a positive move."
Graham Smee, director at Neoteris distributor equIP, said Neoteris sales are going well and the vendor decided it needed another distributor to support it.
"It is never good news [for existing distributors] when another comes along, but hopefully it will grow the business, which will be good for everybody," he said.
David Ellis, director of e-security at distributor Unipalm, agreed that Neoteris operates in a fast-growing market sector. But he questioned the vendor's channel strategy.
"Juniper sold mainly direct so the benefits to the channel are uncertain," Ellis said.
But he said this latest move is no surprise. "SSL VPNs have matured to a more volume product. I can see the logic of signing a second distributor," he said.