Blue Coat buttons up for SMB channel push

Vendor moves downstream and hunts new breed of reseller to sell ProxyOne appliance

Blue Coat is plotting an SMB reseller recruitment charge after launching a web security appliance aimed at smaller companies.

ProxyOne is designed for firms with between 100 and 2,000 users and EMEA marketing vice president Nigel Hawthorn said the appliance would throw the vendor into contact with a new breed of VAR.

He stressed Blue Coat had previously been selling a bundle of ten part numbers to reach the SMB space.

“Blue Coat has traditionally had a small number of high-end partners and now we need to expand without confusing our existing channel,” he said. “That’s why it is good to have a completely different product.”

Hawthorn claimed reseller margins on ProxyOne would match those of its enterprise offering, Proxy SG, with VARs also able to register deals to get additional discount.

A range of tools have also been made available to help resellers close deals quickly, including a recently launched try-and-buy programme.

“Some vendors, when they bring out products at lower end, bring them out at a lower margin,” said Hawthorn. “Resellers should be able to make significant margin from ProxyOne.”

The appliance, which Hawthorn said is designed to compete with IronPort, Websense and Bloxx, will be available at about £3,000 with annual licenses starting at about £2,500 for 100 users.

The accompanying reseller recruitment charge will be backed by Blue Coat’s three UK distributors – Arrow ECS, Computerlinks and Westcon.