Centrify has raised a pile of cash and is engaged in expansion – looking to repeat this year's 40% growth. The security specialist has has recruited a number of additional partners across EMEA, expanding its channel by 46 new partners, including new distribution. Centrify was winner of Software Vendor of the Year at the European IT & Software Excellence Awards 2014, organised by IT Europa.
Although based on Microsoft Active Directory and with a history in Data Centres and UNIX/Linux, Centrify is finding that it is the growth of mobile, and needs by enterprise IT to control use that is giving it a push. “As we talk to IT, security and compliance organisations, we hear that this is a new world. Given that mobile devices are predominantly used for accessing apps, Centrify is addressing identity needs for both on-premise and cloud environments, and looking to further expand its partner base with specialist cloud integrators and enablers," says EMEA Director, Darren Gross. “We play in a very regulated market, with a lot of customers who are affected by this, and they all look at who can access systems, what they are allowed to do, the ability to capture and audit sessions.”
With this in mind, it is no surprise that the major markets are financials, pharmaceuticals and telecoms. With mobile access expanding, organisations need ways to control users like never before, limiting access and possibly removing them when they leave or move on. But he emphases that it is not just the larger enterprises that are the target, although there is a move to consolidate all the local security silos in an organisation into one, which resides in Active Directory, which gives users a single access and authentication.
New signings include Nebulas, Quru, Somerford Associates, SecurityMatterz and AT Computers in the UK. The company has further expanded in EMEA East and the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), building new partnerships with Fujitsu Technology Solutions, Science+Computing (a Bull Group Company), Cross Media and Mint. Centrify has also recruited three new Value Added Distributors, Hermitage Solutions in France, IREO in Spain and Portugal, and Inforte in Turkey.
Centrify has gone from a base in the UK and Nordics to expand to a full EMEA team; with specialists working in southern Europe and adding partners. “For us it is about adding local support and channels – giving them free training, support and addressing right down into the SMB market. Where are partners were once positioned in the data centre, we are now able to hep the getting into this new mobile world.”
Some regions and countries have more aggressive requirements – it is not just about regulatory compliance. And there is no doubt about demand: “Too many people have too much access to too many things,” says Barry Scott, EMEA Technical Manager. “It is just the way things have grown up. The IT people have an understanding of the issues, and it is a noose-tightening over time. They are finding that they are now not compliant.”
“We are helping IT, and it is an 'open door' if we can help them become compliant,” says Darren Gross.