RSA unveils SSO in bid to boost reseller base
Vendor reveals single-sign on product at partner conference, claiming it will strengthen channel
Security vendor RSA aims to bolster its reseller base following the launch of its new single sign-on (SSO) product.
The vendor used its recent partner conference in Vienna to unveil Sign-On Manager 4.5, which it has claimed joins enterprise SSO, self-service emergency access and strong authentication for Microsoft Windows desktops and networks, and will allow its resellers to boost revenue.
Earlier this year the vendor launched its SecurWorld partner strategy, which it hailed as its “biggest ever investment in the channel” (CRN, 2 May). It appointed Jo Pettifer as international channel programmes manager to head the strategy and continue reseller recruitment (CRN, 15 August).
“Partners familiar with our SecurID product will see Sign-On Manager 4.5 as a significant opportunity, because they can go back to their existing customers and up-sell the products to them,” claimed Pettifer.
“For partners that are not familiar with SecurID technology and looking to become RSA resllers it represents more of a solution approach and means they can go into greenfield sites and generate new business,” she said.
Pettifer said the vendor is also offering new and existing resellers “enhanced” online training through its SecurWorld partner portal.
“We are encouraging existing partner to train up on the product and new partners have 90 days to go out and get the certification requirements,” Pettifer said.
To drive more sales through the channel, RSA is also offering additional incentives such as deal registration and business rebates, and the vendor is also undertaking a number of end-user awareness campaigns to create leads for its channel.
Victor Demarines, product manager for Sign-On Manager, said the product will appeal to a wide range of end-user sectors.
“Financial organisations are seeing a big upsurge in demand for this kind of technology, particularly with the burden of compliance, but any firm that has a lot of passwords to control and need to simplify management will find it useful,” he said.
George Anderson, security solutions business development manager at Computacenter, said: “I think this is great for the channel. It is a very easy first stop to get resellers into secure Single Sign On applications and it is a very good starting point for lots of our customers.
“I don’t think there are very many big players in Single Sign On. There has been identity access management players such as Sun, but not many have come from a security perspective. Bigger players tend to offer broad, large or complex solutions and not many of them are straightforward.
“This product will suit firms with highly regulated environments and those with audit trails – it will definitely be driven by compliance. Not only will it appeal to security resellers, but also to those selling Microsoft offerings as well,” he added.