Masergy Grows Security Services Footprint With Global DataGuard Buy

Managed network and cloud services provider Masergy Communications said Tuesday it has acquired network analysis and security player Global DataGuard.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Plano, Texas-based Masergy said it's a move that will significantly bolster its managed security services portfolio.

"We wanted to identify a business, or a company, that we could bring in to deliver us a full 24-by-7, mature security control center," said John Dumbleton, senior vice president of business development at Masergy. "Global DataGuard had just that."

[Related: Cloud Solution Provider Masergy Joins As AWS Direct Connect Partner ]

Dumbleton said Global DataGuard's roughly 50 employees will become part of the Masergy team, including the certified security analysts who head up DataGuard's 24-by-7 security control and monitoring center, based in Dallas.

Moving forward, Dumbleton said Masergy is looking to tighten the lines between DataGuard's security control center and Masergy's own 24-by-7 networking operations center, also based in Dallas. In addition, Masergy would like to bulk up DataGuard's center with more resources and a bigger staff, in anticipation of high demand for its managed security services.

"We want to staff up for what we believe is going to be a strong demand set in our existing [customer] base," Dumbleton said.

In addition to its 24-by-7 security control center, Masergy is gaining access to Global DataGuard's professional services portfolio, which includes security and forensic audits, compliance testing, penetration testing, vulnerability assessments and risk management.

Global DataGuard's network analytics, persistent threat management, and intrusion detection and prevention technologies also will join the Masergy portfolio.

Prior to the acquisition, Masergy's security lineup consisted primarily of managed firewall and Internet management solutions, Dumbleton said, which weren't necessarily enough to combat the more sophisticated and persistent threat landscape customers face today.

Masergy has roughly 100 global channel partners, according to Dumbleton, while DataGuard has a "handful." He said Masergy will be rolling out both a certification and a referral program for its partners, incenting them to learn and start selling DataGuard products.

Dumbleton said DataGuard CEO Scott Paly also will join the Masergy team as a technology "evangelist," with his formal title to come.

Ian Kieninger, CEO of Avant Communications, a Chicago-based solution provider and Masergy partner, said Masergy is "upping the game" with its DataGuard acquisition.

"[Masergy's] intelligent Internet management is a great cloud firewall product -- but they clearly recognized the need for a comprehensive advanced threat management solution," Kieninger said in an email to CRN.

"From what we've learned so far, they have acquired leading-edge patented technologies that are utilized in conjunction with a 24-by-7 security operations center to deliver next-generation advanced threat management. We look forward to learning more and getting certified on their new capabilities."

PUBLISHED APRIL 8, 2014