Gigamon enhances the security platform at the core of their growing security business, while continuing to increase and develop the security-focused part of their channel. They will also be implementing a Gigamon Professional Services program in Q2.

Today at the RSA Conference, network visibility vendor Gigamon continued the development of its security tool business with the introduction of a Metadata Engine for their GigaSECURE Security Delivery Platform. The Metadata Engine enhances the GigaSECURE NetFlow/IPFIX generation capability, strengthening its Big Data analytics capabilities.

The new engine, which becomes a core element of the GigaSECURE platform, continues Gigamon’s recent push into the security arena.

“We started life in 2004 as a network monitoring vendor, where we were the visibility layer in the middle for the application and network performance tools,” said Johnnie Konstantas, Gigamon’s Director of Security Solutions Marketing and Business Development. “The last two years, however, have seen a significant shift in the use case for our business, from application and network performance tools to security, driven by the growing complexity in security tools contending for the same packets on the network.”

The security business rose to 35 per cent of Gigamon’s business in 2014, and to 45 per cent last year.

“That shift brought us to looking at our visibility fabric architecture and bringing together all the security-centric elements, packaging it as a security delivery platform,” Konstantas said. “This is the latest enhancement to that platform.”

The GigaSECURE platform previously had NetFlow generation capability that contained certain kinds of metadata.

“We have expanded this with certain types of network information for Big Data, and analytics,” Konstantas stated. The new Metadata Engine is designed to ‘super-charge’ SIEMs and big data security analytics solutions by improving their speed of detection.

The security business has been increasing Gigamon’s total addressable market.

“We are definitely expanding the verticals we sell into,” said Barbara Spicek, VP of WorldWide Channels for Gigamon. “Traditionally, network visibility has been focused on service providers and larger companies. With the new focus on security, we are seeing an expansion into regulated markets like health care.”

Gigamon’s channel has also been reinforced to support the security initiative. While the company does have some legacy direct service provider business, its’ core go-to-market model has been entirely channel for years.

“We have around 400 VARs now worldwide,” Spicek said. “We have a very strong focus on recruiting new partners, especially strong partners that have security practices. Of the 100 partners we recruited last year, 70 of them were security focused. These are partnerships with VARs putting together complete solutions. We want to continue our recruitment in the security space for this year, although we do have a good foundation and a good set of partners.”

Spicek said they are also now up to 35 security ecosystem vendor partners now, which amplifies their solution partner opportunities

“They have the ability to take our security solution with their line card and put it in with many vendors,” she said. “It’s really unique, a complete heterogeneous platform, and gives them the ability to enhance their practices, as well as develop professional services.”

Gigamon also intends to take further measures to help partners develop professional services capabilities.

“Part of our plans for the year include launching a Gigamon Professional Services program in Q2,” Spicek said.

In Canada, Gigamon now has 24 partners in total. This includes one large Platinum Partner (Brockville ON-based Layer 8 Solutions) and one Gold Partner (national VAR Long View Systems).

The Metadata Engine, being demonstrated this week at RSA, will be generally available in March, 2016 to all GigaSECURE customers with active subscriptions for software updates.