Marooned 2e2 security staff jump ship to Pervasive

Security practice head Russell Poole and four others to reach out to former customers after joining rival integrator

VAR Pervasive Group has snapped up a nucleus of former 2e2 security staff in a bid to offer continuity of service to the fallen integrator's security customers.

2e2 security practice director Russell Poole has been appointed as head of Pervasive's security practice, with four other ex-2e2ers also moving across to Pervasive's Newbury office.

Based on its 2008 acquisition of Netstore, 2e2's security practice employed about 15 staff at the time the integrator fell into administration in January. Its administrator FTI Consulting was forced to cease operating most of 2e2's services - including those relating to its security business - several weeks ago after funding dried up.

Talking to CRN, Poole (pictured) said he was delighted to be in a position to offer continuity of service to 2e2's roughly 600 security customers.

"We will get back in touch with them and make them aware of what Pervasive does and how we differentiate ourselves in the market," he added.

"This gives us a lot of stability and focus - we have gone from a team of 15 focused on security to a team of over 40 people with a lot more technical resource and ability to understand environments inclusive of security - but also encompassing networking and wireless solutions."

Pervasive bolstered its security business in November when it grabbed the assets of fallen Check Point partner Assurix. Several of Assurix's top staff have since left to join rival VAR Sapphire, but Poole stressed that some remain and will join forces with the team he has brought across, which includes Graham King, Luke Smalley and Paul Scheeres. The combined business boasts vendor partnerships with the likes of Check Point, Fortinet, Websense, Blue Coat, RSA and Trustwave.

Terry Greer-King, UK managing director of Check Point, said the vendor has promoted Pervasive from Silver to Gold status (2e2 held Check Point's top-level Platinum badge) as a result of the move.

"This is a positive investment from Pervasive to show their intent in the security market," he said.

Mark Peters, channel sales manager at Fortinet, said: "This is nothing but positive for us. Russell and his team will bring an added dimension to Pervasive's security capabilities."

Pervasive is not the only VAR to have enlisted former 2e2 security staff, with Integrity Solutions having already taken on four of its former employees, including senior sales consultant James Musk.

Integrity's England country manager, Mark Evans - himself an ex-2e2er - claimed that his firm had got in ahead of Pervasive.

"We acted dynamically during the 2e2 fallout and were able to secure a number of key operational and sales staff," he said.

David Hobson, sales director of VAR MTI's security practice, argued that Pervasive would face an uphill struggle to win over 2e2's ex-customers.

"My view is good luck to them," Hobson said. "It is a major statement for Pervasive to add £0.5m - and that's a conservative estimate - to its overheads when they won't get ROI for some time.

"To walk back into the client base may not be as easy as they think. Pervasive is not going to have the same accreditations as 2e2 had, so I think it is going to be a bit of a journey for them. A number of those clients will have been bruised as a result of 2e2 going and will be wary."