PineApp launches UK offensive

Isreali security vendor appoints first distributor

Israeli security vendor PineApp has launched its first market share offensive on UK soil and appointed its first distributor.

The anti-spam and anti-virus appliance vendor, which counts Barracuda Networks as its main rival, has signed a distribution deal with CMI Labs. PineApp is looking to quickly establish a reseller base to increase its footprint.

Steve Cornish, UK sales and marketing director at PineApp, told CRN the firm had established itself in other territories before coming to the UK.

“The reason for our late entry into the UK is because it is the most competitive market place in Europe and we needed to gain experience in other areas first,” he said. “We have been selling some products in the UK for a couple of years, but now we are turning to the channel.”

Cornish said the firm is looking for resellers, particularly those that are vertically orientated or have expertise in network security. However, he added that the firm does not have any plans to take on large numbers of partners.

“We don’t want to create a free for all or spread our resources too thinly,” he said. “We would rather have a smaller, focused set of partners that we can offer our full support to. We are also quite happy with one distributor in the UK.”

He added that PineApp will provide full training and certification for its partners, along with lead-generation activities.

Damian Stevens, channel manager at CMI Labs, said: “PineApp proved to be the most effective vendor in eliminating spam and viruses at the perimeter. Its products allow us to offer resellers a solution that covers small office/home office customers through to the enterprise.”

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