Security device maker Fortinet has singed a distribution agreement with Ideal Hardware as it sets out its two-tiered channel intention in the UK.

The company produces a Network Protection Gateway security box, which sits in place of or alongside a firewall with multi-function capabilities including anti-virus, intrusion detection and content filtering.

Richard Kagan, vice president, marketing at Fortinet, said that while in the past resellers sold just firewalls, they can now offer customers more products and services in one box.

"We want a two tiered distribution model because we want to leverage the infrastructure of distributors," said Kagan. "We will not over distribute our product and we will sign just one more value add security distributor."

Repton Computers is the vendor's first UK channel partner and the reseller has already sold the product into its customer base.

Fortinet product manager at the reseller Ben Harris, said Ideal Hardware is a good way for the vendor to establish itself in the UK channel.

"Ideal is starting to focus on security and is a big organisation that will give Fortinet the presence it needs in the UK," he said.

Resellers are essential in providing pre-sales advice to customers that would normally have just bought firewalls.

The company's range scales from SoHo to corporate systems and a typical device for an Enterprise product will range from £2,000 to £10,000.

Harris said: "The product has done very well in the two months since we took on the boxes. In the short term we will be targeting SMEs to offer them functionality they are not used to but we will target corporates later on."

Richard Harrington, business unit manager security at Ideal, said the distributor hopes to sign about 100 dedicated resellers by March 2003. "We will be launching a marketing campaign very soon which is aimed at generating leads and getting resellers on board."