The cautionary tales about security are so prevalent that sometimes it
feels there will never be enough digital locks in place.
Minneapolis-based Octane Security brings some
comfort in an insecure world. Company co-founder and CEO Brett Astleford
talks about affordability, technology, and giving network admins plenty
of free time.
How did Octane Security get started?
We analyzed the Internet Security market and decided that there were
many areas that needed to be addressed. The three founding partners have
over 20 years of experience combined in the IT industry.
From our experience, we felt that the marketplace is frustrated with the
business approach most security companies are using to market their
products: subscriptions and usage-based pricing. Therefore, we felt the
need for a better solution.
Why do you feel there's a need for what you provide?
Network security is a growing concern for every business that uses
technology today. It is on top of every CEO/CIO's initiatives list,
whether it's mandated by regulations such as HIPPA or Sarbanes-Oxley or
not.
At Octane Security, we feel that the Internet should be secure and
end-users on the network should not feel apprehensive about using
technology. For this reason, we strive to provide a relevant service
that every organization of any size needs for today and for the future.
What makes your company unique?
Octane Security's founders decided from the company's inception that we
wanted to free businesses from having to pay exorbitant fees, waste time
tracking endless subscriptions, and move away from the usage fee-based
practice that plagues our industry today. We offer innovative network
security technologies at reasonable prices that any business of any size
can afford.
We do not charge any subscriptions for services such as spam or virus
updates that frankly, in our opinion, customers shouldn't have to pay
for multiple times. So we definitely question expensive subscriptions,
offshore technical support and various other trends associated with the
technology sector.
What kind of challenges does your company face?
We are a start-up Internet security company that is competing with
giants in our field. But we strongly feel that our size is an actual
asset to our customers. We are able to listen more carefully to our
clients and develop customized solutions for their unique business
needs. Our larger competitors can't afford and typically aren't able to
match our level of service and support.
We are working diligently to build our reputation for being the most
responsive and most efficient Internet security company in the
marketplace. Our products, services and our business approach are what
set us apart from the rest of the industry.
Where do you want to build the company from here?
We plan to continue building upon the momentum we have accomplished so
far in the last two months in the local Twin Cities market with
customers such as the City of Savage and the City of Hopkins. Our
business plan calls for a regional expansion in the second quarter of
the year followed by a nationwide and worldwide expansion in the latter
half of 2005.
We will also continue to release new innovative products such as NUMA, a
network utilization and management appliance that will offer an
enterprise class network-monitoring device and a central event LOG
appliance. Our mission is to offer affordable appliances for the network
that solve security concerns and free up the network administrator's
precious and limited time.
do you know a local company we should cover? Let us know about it.
Send your local profile candidates to dan@computeruser.com.
