Networks Unlimited and Websense part ways

The Websense/SurfControl and Networks Unlimited partnership in sub-Saharan Africa will terminate effective 2 January 2009.

After nearly 12 years of successful partnership, it is regrettable that Websense chose to squander Networks Unlimited's well-established end-user and reseller partner base and associated goodwill. Among other things, Websense tried to enforce a First World channel model onto Networks Unlimited's territory, despite its recommendations to the contrary, and failed.

The performance of the product has therefore not met with either party's expectations and Websense has elected to terminate the distribution agreement and to revert back to a single-tier distribution model.

Networks Unlimited has a solid track record in this space having enjoyed 60% market share prior to the SurfControl acquisition and has many long-term relationships with both end-users and resellers alike - long may this continue!

For Networks Unlimited's customers, SurfControl was the right product at the right price, particularly when combined with its world-class support.

For those who have outgrown simple URL filtering and require a more robust security solution to protect and secure the network perimeter from Web-borne threats, Networks Unlimited has the world's best solution - the IronPort S-series.

IronPort is a renowned market leader in the e-mail gateway security space. The IronPort S-series is an appliance-based, turn-key solution that is used to plug the major security holes in any organisation's Web gateway or for simple Web filtering.

For those who are new to IronPort and its business philosophy, IronPort understands the unique challenges and opportunities of doing business in sub-Saharan Africa and backs the channel 100%. As threats to corporate networks increase, be assured that Networks Unlimited will continue to deliver the world's best technologies to nullify these threats, securing the future of your business.

The success of any value-added distributor in this region is highly dependent on the level of support that it can offer with the underlying technologies that it promotes. Networks Unlimited's commitment to its reseller partners and their clients will continue beyond 2 January 2009; it will continue to offer support to all existing Websense/SurfControl customers who purchased from Networks Unlimited until such time that their support contracts are up for renewal.

For further information in this regard, please do not hesitate to contact your regional channel development manager or the Websense/SurfControl channel development manager, Lydia Potgieter on 011 304 6220.

We look forward to doing business in 2009!