Mako Networks signs major US contract
Mako Networks has signed a teaming agreement with Sprint, the third-largest wireless provider in the US, to provide cyber security services for Sprint's retail business customers.
Terms of the agreement will see the Sprint, which services around 54 million customers in the US, add the Mako System to the company's portfolio of solutions for retailers and distributed enterprises.
As a result of the deal, Mako CEO Bill Farmer believes the agreement will provide "tens of millions of dollars" in revenue for the company.
"If we had not opened the office there we would not have this business or a lot of the other business that we're getting in the United States at the moment," Farmer adds.
In what is being billed as a "major contract" by the Albany-based firm, US customers can now purchase Mako’s solution integrated with Sprint’s wireless service to connect, protect, control and secure their data and payment transactions.
In turn, Sprint’s US business customer base offers a significant growth opportunity for Mako with a leading wireless and wireline services provider.
“Sprint is the perfect company for Mako to align with in bringing our solution to the distributed enterprise market here in the United States,” says Simon Gamble, Mako Networks president for North American operations.
“With Sprint’s sizeable footprint in machine-to-machine solutions and world-class network, we believe that US businesses will be delighted with the solution our services provide.”
The Mako System creates Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant networks for distributed enterprises (multisite businesses), such as retail chains or franchises
With a cloud-based Central Management System (CMS), Mako allows administrators to manage the network connections at thousands of sites through a single Web interface, designed to avoid jeopardising their networks’ PCI-compliant status.
The solution also includes built-in Wi-Fi and Mako Guardian content filtering and reporting, in addition to other value-added features, including extensive 24x7 monitoring and alerts to help maintain network security.
Mako also offers a secondary Internet connection or ‘failover’ option, which switches a business’s internet connection to Sprint’s wireless network if the fixed-line connection is disrupted.
This backup option allows businesses to maintain a non-stop retail environment.
Under the agreement with Sprint, customers will use the Mako System, backed up by a Sprint mobile data connection, while the Mako System can also be configured to use the Sprint network as a primary means of internet access.
“Mako’s technology is leading the way in secure, PCI-compliant networking for the distributed enterprise," says Ben Vos, vice president of Emerging Solutions, Sprint.
"Our business customers will appreciate the ease of use and powerful connectivity options the Mako System provides.
"Sprint’s retail M2M strategy is to integrate new technology that provides the customer an omni-channel experience while delivering a valuable set of data analytics for better decision-making to the retailer.”
