CipherTrust launches EMEA Channel Accreditation Programme to address email security threats

CipherTrust, the market leader in comprehensive email security announces the launch of its EMEA Channel Accreditation Programme. By the end of 2004 CipherTrust plans to grow its channel partners by 150% across Europe.

The recruitment drive is in response to the increasing threat of attack on business email systems. With Spam estimated to make up 46% of all European email traffic, the occurrence of email attacks is being amplified with the convergence of Spam and viruses, where techniques common to both are used to spread attacks quickly and broadly. This causes a major financial impact to European business and a very real opportunity for resellers. Recent research by Radicati Group shows that viruses alone will cost European businesses 9 billion during 2004.

As a result, CipherTrust is at a point in its European growth where additional channel partners are required to best service the needs of the market. CipherTrust has been using a two-tier distribution model since its foundation in Europe in 2003. The company has experienced significant success within the UK market with many of its established UK channel partners gaining immediate traction and then growing their CipherTrust business by over 500% quarter on quarter.

The objective of the Channel Accreditation Programme is two-fold. Firstly, in the UK, to acknowledge the success of existing channel partners and further strengthen the UK channel by increasing support to these partners and identifying new, complimentary additions to the channel. Secondly, to establish a two-tier distribution model throughout the rest of Europe; primarily in the Benelux, France, Germany and Nordic regions. CipherTrust will then use this route to market to further develop and launch new product offerings.

To support this aggressive growth of channel partners, CipherTrust has increased both the European corporate and internal sales teams to ensure a continuous flow of new business opportunities from the channel and for the channel.

"We have identified the need to create a definitive channel programme that will capitalise on the opportunities in the marketplace," commented Colin Gray, VP EMEA, CipherTrust. "As attacks on business email systems become more sophisticated an integrated solution will be required to intelligently identify and respond to the increasing threat. Partners will benefit as IronMail offers a comprehensive solution that can be easily implemented in any business environment."

The IronMail solution - available to enterprise customers now and the SMB market in the very near future - includes Spam and fraud prevention, virus and worm protection, policy and content compliance, email privacy and secure email gateway capabilities into a single platform. It provides a comprehensive solution designed to secure business email gateways by controlling all incoming and outgoing email messages.

Through the CipherTrust Channel Accreditation Programme, CipherTrust will offer a range of sales and technical training, sales support and marketing services to help its channel partners sell value added email security solutions and build upon their own service offerings.

CipherTrust is recruiting channel partners who are primarily IT Security focused with an experienced technical background supported by a dynamic, proactive sales environment. There are two levels to the CipherTrust Channel Accreditation Programme:

Premier
Authorised

1. Premier Partners - Premier Partners will have CipherTrust trained technical engineers and sales staff. The objective is for Premier Partners to be self-sufficient directly supporting for their own installed base of CipherTrust customers. In addition, Premier Partners will also benefit from the support of CipherTrust for their marketing and sales activities.

2. Authorised Partners - Authorised Partners will have a minimum of one CipherTrust certified technical engineer supported by a CipherTrust trained sales force.

"A number of the existing partners will be able to attain Premier status should they wish to do so," continued Gray. "With over 30% of the Fortune 100 using IronMail we have a very strong referencable customer base. With this in mind, it's encouraging to see the channel grasping the opportunity to partner with CipherTrust. The Channel Accreditation Programme will enable us to ensure that we capitalise on offering enterprise class email security solutions to all markets, and continue our dynamic European growth."