eSoft's ThreatWall 300 Protects SMB Market, Customers

The answer lies in selecting devices that offer virtually unlimited flexibility yet still fit the appliance model. Enter eSoft, a Broomfield, Colo.-based security appliance vendor. The company offers solutions for businesses of all sizes, but focuses on economical solutions that serve the SMB market quite well. For example, eSoft&'s ThreatWall 300 offers almost every security feature imaginable for just $2,999 and scales up to 2,000 users.

When it comes to protecting a network, eSoft takes a slightly different approach. The ThreatWall 300 assumes all incoming traffic is malicious and only lets through the packets that are deemed to be safe and free of malware. That process treats today&'s Internet as the modern equivalent of the Wild West&'s no man&'s land of yore.

That deployment model offers several advantages over the traditional “scan and block” method of protecting networks. ESoft&'s “scan and allow” methodology can offer increased performance by focusing on passing allowed packets through, as opposed to validating each and every packet allowed into the network. Of course, the system is fully customizable by using policy definitions.

The ThreatWall series of appliances is designed to be customizable and adaptable, thanks to eSoft&'s SoftPak technology. SoftPaks are software-based sets of functions that can be added to a ThreatWall device and can be used to add spam-filtering, site-filtering, gateway antivirus, desktop antivirus and e-mail server capabilities. They are the key to the device&'s flexibility and expandability. ESoft regularly updates SoftPaks to deal with the latest security concerns.

The ThreatWall 300 is housed in a 1U rack-mountable case and includes a pair of RAID level 1 hard drives to store software and event logs in a redundant environment. The unit also includes a pair of 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports that are used to connect the device between the Internet and the local network. The inclusion of Gigabit Ethernet is a critical advantage for networks as they grow and place more demands on the Ethernet infrastructure. Performance is further enhanced by the inclusion of 1 Gbyte of RAM and a Pentium 4 2.6GHz processor.

Installation of the device is intuitive, bordering on plug-and-play simplicity; users simply install the physical device and then launch the browser-based installation wizard. The device can be set up in transparent mode, which eliminates the need to change any existing network settings or DNS records, or it can be set up in proxy mode, which requires changes to the DNS records. Proxy mode is the preferred style of deployment and adds another layer of security by including user authentication.

The management interface is intuitive and offers easy access to the multiple settings offered by the unit. What&'s more, SoftPaks can be added remotely and with ease, which allows integrators to offer remote service and monitoring capabilities, all with an eye toward ongoing revenue opportunities.

Out of the box, the unit includes several standard security features and, in some cases, can eliminate the need for additional security products and reduce the need for SoftPaks. Integrators will find standard firewall features such as NAT, packet-filtering, attack mitigation and other features readily available. On top of the requisite firewall functionality, the ThreatWall units include eSoft&'s ThreatWise technology, which is built around key security services including a realtime threat monitor, multilevel quarantines, RADIUS support, LDAP support, e-mail alerts and comprehensive reporting. Those features prove to be a good start for most any environment and then can be further enhanced with the addition of SoftPaks.

As additional SoftPaks are created, partners will have the opportunity to upsell capabilities to their customers as security threats increase.

ESoft has been evolving its channel program for the last six years, providing comprehensive support to its channel partners. Solution providers looking to join only need to commit to the company&'s required training. The program is broken down to two levels: a VAR program, which requires a small amount of yearly sales, and a more comprehensive eVAR level, which requires higher sales but includes marketing and financial assistance to member VARs. Margins run roughly 30 percent for both levels. Partners at the eVAR level have access to enhanced technical support, co-op funds and financial incentives that can drive margins up further.

A partner portal offers all member VARs access to marketing and support materials, ranging from lead generation to selling techniques. Technical support is offered to partners 24x7, and online training is available at no cost. Partners also can benefit from free presales integration support and 90 days of unlimited technical support.

ESoft has developed a winning combination of hardware, software and channel support that can lead attentive VARs to big profits in the security field. The unique application of eSoft&'s security methodology helps to reduce, if not eliminate, obsolescence yet still provide ample ongoing revenue opportunities to VAR partners.