Pervasive Networks parts ways with security boss

Russell Poole moves to O2 Unify a year after joining VAR to spearhead security push

Newbury VAR Pervasive Networks has parted company with the ex-2e2 boss it enlisted last year to build its security business.

Russell Poole has left the firm to take up a job at O2 Unify, the joint venture O2 set up with 2e2.

Pervasive – a networking specialist – recruited Poole and several other members of 2e2's security team last February following 2e2's collapse into administration.

The move built on its acquisition of the customer contracts of bust security VAR Assurix three months earlier.

According to onlookers, the Assurix purchase handed Pervasive access to about 120 active and about a further 200 casual customers.

But one source speculated that Pervasive had found it tougher to crack the security space than it had envisaged.

"They bought the books from Assurix and made a substantial investment to get the right team in place," they said.

"But asking a group of people to build up a business on the back of maintenance deals with customers they're not familiar with is a tall order."

Many of Assurix's staff joined rival VAR Sapphire soon after it went out of business. Of those that moved across from Assurix to Pervasive, just one remains, one source said.

Neither Poole nor Pervasive returned our calls.

O2 confirmed Poole started at O2 Unify in the post of security alliances director, where he is tasked with driving the firm's managed security solutions and cybersecurity proposition.