Dell to sell ServGate appliances

Security appliance maker ServGate Technologies will sell its new line of products in the US exclusively through Dell.com.

The The ServGate EdgeForce M Series will provide hardware with integrated anti-virus, spam filtering and other security features for small businesses.

The line will include seven new products, ranging in price from less than $1,000 (£557) to around $13,000, offering companies a rack-mounted hardware appliance with modular security features.

The goal is to simplify management of network security products for small and medium-sized businesses by integrating more than one security function on a single device, according to Atchison Frazer, vice-president of corporate marketing at ServGate.

ServGate will announce the general availability of the first appliance in the new family. Dubbed the M30, the so-called "unified threat management" or "UTM" device will sell for $995 and be marketed to companies with between 10 and 35 employees, Frazer said.

The M30 will include virus screening and spam filtering from McAfee and web filtering from SurfControl. The product will also offer features such as firewall and VPN (virtual private network), ServGate said.

Customers will be able to select which security features they want through Dell.com. After the initial purchase, new features can be activated using licence keys purchased through Dell, Frazer said.

Other M series releases will include the M100, M110, M300, M310, M1100 and M1110, with the high-end devices supporting networks with up to 1,000 users and 1Gbit of network throughput, Frazer said.

The M series will only be available through Dell.com. Dell already sells security hardware and software from a number of suppliers, including rival products from Symantec.

ServGate's hardware will compete with those products for virtual shelf space.

However, the company is hoping that the partnership will introduce ServGate's technology to a wide range of small businesses in the US that use Dell to purchase hardware and peripheral devices, Frazer said. 

Currently, only around 25% of ServGate's business is done with customers in the US Sales to China account for between 40% and 50% of the company's business, Frazer said.

Paul Roberts writes for IDG News Service