Security vendor TriGeo Network Security continues to build its partner base and push more sales through the channel. But company executives say the focus isn't so much on numbers; it's on forming strategic alliances with qualified solution providers."Anybody can add a lot of partners and point out how significantly they've grown," says Geoff Rinehart, executive vice president of sales and business development at TriGeo, which delivers Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions. "How many of them are expanding your footprint? Contributing to your mindshare? We engage only partners that will take their relationship with us seriously." In the past two quarters, the vendor has added seven solution providers to its channel roster.

With its network security appliance, TriGeo targets midmarket customers, offering a turnkey solution that Rinehart says enterprise players can't compete with. "The vendors delivering enterprise solutions are trying to break into the midmarket by 'dumbing down' their existing products," he says. "But that just doesn't work. Those products are designed as development platforms for managing an entire security infrastructure. They require a lot of set-up and extensive professional services. Our solution can be up and running very quickly, and we don't even have to visit the customer site. That's why our tagline is 'Live by Lunch.'"

Rinehart says the midmarket is a great place to be right now. "Four or five years ago, everybody was talking about the enterprise," he says. "Now it's all about the midmarket, which is still a relatively untapped area."

Many TriGeo customers are in financial services (think Sarbanes-Oxley), healthcare (HIPAA), or retail (PCI)--spaces where regulatory compliance is a driving force behind network security. Rinehart says TriGeo is seeing an upsurge in the legal and manufacturing verticals as well.

"We'll continue to focus on recruiting new partners and expanding our channel footprint," says Rinehart, adding that TriGeo does this primarily by querying existing customers to find out who their trusted advisors are. The vendor also focuses its hiring efforts on channel managers with existing Rolodexes of VARs in the security space. And then there are trade shows, which always present excellent opportunities for finding the kinds of channel partners that TriGeo seeks.

Stay tuned for more from TriGeo, including solution provider and customer profiles.