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ProLion has been offering good defense against ransomware for ONTAP platforms with CryptoSpike for several years now. ONTAP is used by NetApp and Lenovo. Recently, CryptoSpike also offers protection for the Dell PowerScale platform, making it a cross-platform solution. Mark Slagmolen, regional manager of Benelux, France, and Nordics, shares more about this.
CryptoSpike is now a well-known name in the channel. In the Netherlands and abroad, system integrators, installers, and distributors know that it does its job well and invisibly. CryptoSpike protects the files in storage systems. “Ransomware protection puts a lot of emphasis on protecting the endpoints and networks. The storage systems quickly fall outside the scope of the measures,” said Mark. “CryptoSpike is there to fill that hole in the defense. Our focus is on protecting file storage systems.”
ProLion first focused on the NetApp platform with CryptoSpike. Then support for Lenovo followed. The DM-series storage systems from this manufacturer also use ONTAP (NetApp OEM) and can therefore also be equipped with the additional protection of CryptoSpike.
Dell PowerScale Support
Recently, CryptoSpike can also be added to the Dell PowerScale platform. “With protection, it is key that the data flows can be seamlessly integrated. For this platform from Dell, the information flow, in particular, which user accesses which file and when can easily be used by CryptoSpike. That is why this expansion of our portfolio was a logical choice,” said Mark, hinting that it will not stop there. This summer, CryptoSpike protection will also be available for Dell Unity and Dell PowerStore.
Dual Vendor
Mark: “Most of the larger resellers of storage systems have a dual vendor policy. We had often been asked by this group whether we could support more platforms. Part of the market has therefore waited a long time for this announcement.”
The three brands that ProLion supports have a combined market share of more than 50 percent in the Netherlands. That’s not the only thing Mark is excited about. “Of course, it is good to know that we can protect a substantial part of the market against ransomware. At least as important, however, is that we will serve other market segments through the collaboration with Dell.”
Dell Unity and PowerStore are more common among slightly smaller customers. Resellers who mainly serve the middle segment of the market can now also better protect their customers’ storage solutions.
Cross-Platform
Cross-platform means more to ProLion than adapting a package for the different platforms. The installers and administrators of storage environments are of little use if the buttons are in different places for each version. “We have further adapted our software in view of the expansions,” explains Mark. “We also overhauled the environments for management and ordering. With software version 3.1, cross-platform integration has gone a long way. It is now no longer necessary to switch User Interface (management platform) when ordering, adjusting, and managing. That provides more overview and convenience.”
Early Access Program
A select group of resellers and end customers have already been able to test the new software in the past period. That process has been formalized by ProLion with an Early Access Program. On an invite-only basis, resellers and, through them, some end customers are approached with the request to participate. “We get very valuable feedback from this group, which helps us to further improve the products,” Mark said. “However, for practical reasons, we cannot make the group too large, which is why we chose this model. Our EAP is different from a user group, where a community shares and exchanges knowledge. For the time being, we have opted for one-to-one contacts between technicians at customers and their contact persons at ProLion.”
CryptoSpike Offers More Protection
CryptoSpike is increasingly evolving into a multi-platform solution that can protect the complex storage architecture based on multiple vendors in organizations. Mark: “Thanks to CryptoSpike, our resellers and their customers know how to fend off ransomware attacks on storage environments every day. Now that we make it cross-platform, they will succeed even better, because parts of those environments that do not use ONTAP can now also be protected.”
About ProLion
ProLion offers powerful data protection solutions that safeguard critical storage and backup data, on-premises or in the cloud. From ransomware protection that detects threats in real time to data transparency, our industry-leading solutions ensure your storage system remains secure, compliant, manageable, and accessible around the clock.
