CRN Exclusive: Gemalto Unveils New Version Of Data Protection Platform For MSPs, MSSPs

Gemalto is making its SafeNet Data Protection on Demand available as a managed service to allow for easier integration and grow its base of customers outside the enterprise.

The Amsterdam, Netherlands-based digital security vendor said the new offering will make it possible for MSSPs to add multiple customers and manage SafeNet Data Protection on Demand on their behalf, Gary Marsden, Gemalto's senior director of data protection services, told CRN exclusively.

The offering will provide partners with access to a portal that makes it easy to add and provision new customers, report on what they're using, integrate with billing systems, and support them by defining security policies and workflows, according to Marsden. Gemalto is looking to bring on 100 MSSPs globally in its first year, Marsden said, with the opportunity for expansion in future years.

[Related: Gemalto Spurns Atos Offer, Opts Instead For $5.63B Takeover Bid From French Conglomerate Thales]

Gemalto already has relationships with hundreds of channel partners in North America focused primarily around identity and access management, Marsden said. Now with SafeNet Data Protection on Demand, Marsden said these partners can deliver encryption, key management and hardware security modules in a nearly identical manner.

Data protection offerings are at the moment most typically bought by large enterprises that are using them in a DevOps or SecOps environment, according to Marsden. But new compliance guidelines and the fear of getting fined have increased the need for encryption and encryption protection for businesses of all sizes.

As a result, Marsden said more companies want access to encryption and hardware security module technology without having to make a large up-front investment. SafeNet Data Protection on Demand for MSPs/MSSPs should therefore allow Gemalto to broaden the size of the addressable market and move from the enterprise into midsize companies as well as the higher end of the SMB market, according to Marsden.

The ideal channel partner would either already be offering managed security services or have experience delivering products as a service and be looking to lock down encryption keys by using hardware security modules, Marsden said. SafeNet Data Protection on Demand could be wrapped around an Oracle database, a CyberArk privileged account management offering, or encryption instances around a Salesforce installation.

The base-level subscription to SafeNet Data Protection on Demand includes a small number of services, Marsden said, with additional services available for purchase. Gemalto is currently developing its systems and processes so that the pricing for all of its subscriptions can be purely usage-based, according to Marsden.

The service-level agreement for SafeNet Data Protection on Demand also includes around-the-clock access to backup, restore and support services, Marsden said. There is no up-front cost for the channel associated with supporting SafeNet Data Protection on Demand beyond getting educated and trained on how to take the offering to market, according to Marsden.

From a metrics perspective, Marsden said Gemalto's emphasis goes beyond pure revenue figures to include how the company's pipeline of partners are taking the offering to market. Gemalto wants to work with partners that wrap SafeNet Data Protection on Demand up with services and sell it throughout the year rather than just providing it on a tactical basis when requested, according to Marsden.

Cryptography is necessary for a majority of NTT Security's customers, but until now has been difficult to use, according to Frank Balow, senior manager of the Tokyo-based solution provider. End users often find themselves struggling with internal resources, Balow said, and lack the manpower to provide services around cryptography.

But by using SafeNet Data Protection on Demand as a starting point, Balow said it's easy for customers to set up hardware security modules as a service and protect their internal databases and public key infrastructure. In addition, Balow said it's far easier to ask clients to pay a small fee each month for the encryption services they've used than forcing them to pay $50,000 or $60,000 up front like they'd have to do in a traditional engagement.

SafeNet Data Protection on Demand would be a good fit for NTT Security's larger logistics and manufacturing customers who are looking to get rid of hardware security modules and move into cloud services, Balow said. It could also be a good fit for NTT Security's smaller customers that want an easy-to-use solution for protecting electronic keys, according to Balow.

Balow praised SafeNet Data Protection on Demand for its user-friendly interface and easy-to-understand prompts bringing partners and customers through the process.

"I've never seen another service that's so easy to use," Balow said.