Stonesoft expands distribution in Europe

Press Release

Stonesoft expands distribution in Europe

Distribution agreement with Magirus extended to cover Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Helsinki, 13 May 2008 – From now on, the StoneGate network security solutions of Stonesoft, an innovative provider of integrated network security and business continuity, will be available in Germany, Austria and Switzerland through the distributor Magirus, a leading provider of IT solutions in Europe. Through the cooperation with Magirus, Stonesoft aims to achieve better market positioning and closer support for its partners and customers. Until now, Magirus has distributed StoneGate products in Italy and Belgium.

Recently Stonesoft unveiled its first comprehensive StoneGate security solution for virtual VMware environments and became a member of the VMware Technology Alliance (TAP) Program. The virtual StoneGate Firewall/VPN appliance protects virtual environments from inside, unlike traditional solutions. This expands network security to the virtual environments and offers great visibility into them.

“What makes Magirus so valuable as a value-added distributor for Stonesoft is its focus on the issues of IT security and virtualisation. We are confident the partnership will bring us closer to our customers and provide us with new contacts, especially in the German, Austrian and Swiss markets. Thanks to the expertise of Magirus, we can now offer companies even better services than before,” highlights Juha Kivikoski, Vice President, Europe and Partnerships at Stonesoft.

“We are delighted to be working with Stonesoft. Their solutions are a perfect match for our portfolio,” comments Erik Walter, Vice President and General Manager of Sales & Marketing at Magirus Deutschland GmbH. “The products offer a competitive, intelligent and adaptive approach to the security and virtualisation sector and at the same time address a rapidly growing market. This gives our business partners an excellent opportunity to expand their areas of operation.”

Stonesoft pursues a go-to-market sales strategy that combines direct customer engagement with indirect sales. The company works with the customers directly and implements the projects together with qualified partners.
The StoneGate product portfolio includes firewall/VPN, intrusion prevention systems (IPS) and SSL VPN solutions for the corporate sector. The unified management of StoneGate handles both virtual and physical firewalls in a similar way. This allows security administration to be immediately effective when protecting virtual environments.

For further information:

Juha Kivikoski
Vice President, Europe and Partnerships
Stonesoft Corporation
Tel. +358 9 4767 11
Email: juha.kivikoski@stonesoft.com

About Stonesoft

Stonesoft Corporation (OMX: SFT1V) is an innovative provider of integrated network security solutions to secure the information flow of distributed organizations. Stonesoft customers include enterprises with growing business needs requiring advanced network security and always-on business connectivity.

StoneGate™ secure connectivity solution unifies firewall, VPN, IPS and SSL VPN blending network security, end-to-end availability and award-winning load balancing into a unified and centrally managed system. The key benefits of StoneGate secure connectivity solution include low TCO, excellent price-performance ratio and high ROI. The virtual StoneGate solution protects the network and ensures business continuity in both virtual and physical network environments.

StoneGate Management Center provides unified management for StoneGate Firewall with VPN, IPS and SSL VPN. StoneGate Firewall and IPS work together to provide intelligent defense all over the enterprise network while StoneGate SSL VPN provides enhanced security for mobile and remote use.

Founded in 1990, Stonesoft Corporation is a global company with corporate headquarters in Helsinki, Finland and Americas headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit www.stonesoft.com.

About Magirus

The Magirus Group is one of the leading European providers of IT solutions. The company’s distribution business is focussed on addressing current trends in the IT sector, taking an early interest in new technologies and bringing them to market successfully. As a result, Magirus delivers high-quality products in the areas of storage, intelligent networks, security, virtualisation, IT management, Open Source and information lifecycle management.

With its professional services portfolio and excellent knowledge of the sector, Magirus is able to support qualified systems and software houses in the planning and implementation of IT projects. Its services focus on demand generation, pre-sales, consultancy, training, certification and implementation, as well as first- and second-level support.

The privately owned company based in Stuttgart was established in 1981 and now employs more than 400 people operating across Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.magirus.com.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008