Fortinet's Road Show Spreads Its Security Message

If you want to meet as many prospective customers as possible in the shortest possible time frame, security vendor Fortinet has rolled out a unique marketing vehicle.

Literally.

Two vehicles, in fact.

Called the FortiExpress, the 90-foot-long vans – both 18-wheelers -- have been traveling throughout the United States and Canada since 2014. Company personnel use the vans to conduct product demonstrations, training sessions and executive briefings on Fortinet products for channel partners and their customers.

"It's always tied back to our reseller community and the channel," Sean Powers, channel account manager for Fortinet, told CRN when one of the vans made a stop at an event sponsored by one of its channel partners, Atrion Communications, at its headquarters in Branchburg, N.J. "We try and drive … brand awareness through the truck [and] visibility."

The vans have also turned up at shopping malls, casinos and baseball stadiums. Scheduled stops in September include PNC Park in Pittsburgh and the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, Ky.

"We had a lot of customer interest in the van," said Dominic Grillo, executive vice president at Atrion. "We actually have a few customer opportunities with Fortinet that came about as a result of the event."

Solution providers can request a FortiExpress appearance through the Fortinet website.