Press Releases

Top Layer Strengthens UK Channel with Launch of Secure Circle Programme

London, December 05, 2006 -

Top Layer Networks, the global leader for high performance intrusion prevention solutions (IPS), has launched its Secure Circle partnership programme. The new three-tiered channel programme is designed to foster stronger, more dynamic and mutually beneficial relationships between Top Layer and its British reseller partners.

“Top Layer is reliant on a strong reseller channel that will help fuel the company’s growth,” said Matt Percival, sales director, EMEA at Top Layer Networks. “Following the success of the Secure Circle partnership programme in the US, we are looking forward to applying what’s worked in the US and adapting it to strengthen our channel in the UK. We plan to use the programme to grow our business through enhanced relationships and incentives with our channel partners.”

Percival continued: “The programme’s training schemes, improved resources and rewards for committed partners are designed so that existing partners can work with us as effectively as possible. It will better enable our partners to make the most of Top Layer’s IPS 5500’s leadership position to provide proven intrusion prevention solutions to customers, and take their share of the rapidly-growing IPS market.”

The programme offers increased rewards for partners who are most committed to Top Layer solutions. The three partnership levels – Premier Secure Circle Partner, Secure Circle Partner and Associate Circle Partner – provide the flexibility necessary to meet evolving business needs while succeeding in today’s competitive information security markets. These levels of partnership are determined by several requirements, such as staff certification, channel marketing activities, technical support, annual revenue expectations, sales forecasts, volume rebates and demonstration equipment.

Highlights of the new Secure Circle Partnership programme include:

· Higher reward for committed partners: Top Layer has broadened its incentives, making more margin available to Secure Circle Partners who maintain technical certification and sales authorisation, meet sales targets and acquire new customers

· Training investment: Top Layer has committed further spending to an already successful onsite and online curriculum for sales and technical training for its channel partners

· Improved partner effectiveness: Top Layer is committed to providing Secure Circle Partners with up-to-date sales support materials, deal registration and lead management

· Top Layer supports its channel with dedicated, proactive account management, direct-touch sales assistance, and access to its engineering, support and marketing specialists – all committed to helping the Top Layer channel succeed. The Secure Circle programme also provides partners with generous discounts, rebates, marketing funds, and more to help partners reach their objectives.

“Top Layer’s IPS 5500 is one of the best intrusion prevention products on the market and gives us an impressive security solution to bring to customers seeking proactive protection from the rising number of sophisticated cyber threats,” said Steve Jennings, managing director at Think Secure, a Top Layer partner. “Top Layer’s new Secure Circle Partnership programme will empower us to sell a great IPS product, while creating a lucrative financial opportunity in the fast-growing IPS market.”

(504 words)

NOTES TO EDITORS

For more information on Top Layer’s Secure Circle Partnership Programme, please visit http://www.toplayer.com/content/partners/channel_partners/index.jsp or call 01483 243549.

About the Top Layer IPS 5500

The IPS 5500 family of products offers the strongest levels of network protection, performance and reliability on the market today. By combining content-based IPS/IDS, stateful firewall and attack mitigation algorithms, the IPS 5500 is the only solution that provides Three Dimensional Protection (3DP) against malicious content, undesired access and rate-based attacks. Top Layer’s architecture enables the IPS 5500 to protect enterprises and service providers from sophisticated, hybrid attacks in real-time while enabling the highest throughput of legitimate traffic.

Top Layer Networks’ family of network intrusion prevention solutions, the IPS 5500 series, has received top accolades from the world’s most prestigious labs and influential publications. Top Layer has received significant recognition from the NSS Group, Computer Reseller News, Information Security Magazine, SC Magazine, IT Week, Service Provider Weekly, the Tolly Group, and more.

About Top Layer Networks

Top Layer Networks is dedicated to its role as the leading global provider of Network Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), developing and bringing to market network security infrastructure solutions that help commercial and government organisations protect their critical on-line assets from the losses and risks associated with cyber threats. Its family of IPS appliances is designed with “Three Dimensional Protection” that provides the most advanced protection capabilities against known and unknown attacks at the highest tested performance rates. Top Layer Networks is headquartered in Massachusetts, USA with sales and support presence in Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Contact:

Suzy Ferguson Lewis PR Phone: +44 (0) 20 7802 2626 Email: suzyf@lewispr.com	Gemma Rowlan Lewis PR Phone: +44 (0) 20 7802 2626 Email: gemmar@lewispr.com