Wick Hill: we are in talks with 'acquisition targets'

Negotiations start amid launch of security vendor incubation unit

Security specialist Wick Hill has set up a incubation unit for emerging vendors coming to EMEA that can’t afford to set up their own services infrastructure or local presence.

The Wick Hill Select programme will offer technical support services via a security operations centre, marketing, training and professional services to these vendors.

Setting up local operations in EMEA is “shockingly expensive” said Wick Hill chairman Ian Kilpatrick, with difference cultures and laws across the region the “sand in the gears”.

Rigby Capital took a majority stake in the Woking-based distie some months ago amid plans to invest in regional expansion beyond the UK and DACH bases.

Kilpatrick said it is seeking to expand its waistline both organically and via acquisition, “we are in discussions with a number of people that share our vision”.

The first company signed up to Wick Hill Select is Black Duck, which sells a toolkit and cloud service designed to identify open source code in a customer’s estate and make sure it is licensed and secure.

Kevin Bland, Black Duck, EMEA director of channel and alliance, said “celebrity viruses” including Poodle and Heartbleed had increased awareness of security vulnerabilities in open source. ®