Blue Coat is taking to the sky with its new Cloud Partner Program and new cloud-based web-security module. The company aims to bring enterprise-level functionality down to smaller businesses while providing partners with a cloud channel solution to enhance or compliment Blue Coat‘s existing suite of products. Here’s the lowdown:

The new Cloud Partner Program has two new designations: Cloud Ready and Managed Security Service Provider. The former provides existing Blue Coat partners with sales technology to quickly sell new cloud services, while the latter provides an advanced delegation for partners looking to white-label the Blue Coat service and build other offerings around it. JoAnne Vedati, director of worldwide channels marketing at Blue Coat, noted that partners now have the expanded perks of a new solutions portfolio, new revenue and services opportunities and customer visibility with Blue Coat’s Partner View, allowing both cloud-ready and and managed security partners look into their customer statuses, renewals and entitlements.

Such a move fits well with Blue Coat’s overall channel moves, Vedati said:

With that level of focus on the channel, Vedati felt like the new cloud security offerings will be great for partners, helping them truly become a trusted adviser as the threat landscape evolves. Blue Coat’s Web Security Module for the Blue Coat Cloud Service is currently in beta, but come March 2011, it will be generally available. Partners working with Blue Coat will have the following features to offer:

Vedati noted Blue Coat’s solution is aimed at providing not just threat protection, but also data loss:

Vedati said that the granular level of control — which includes blocking web 2.0 site features like chat, wall posting, etc. — offered through the new cloud service can deliver that style of enterprise-level security that Blue Coat customers and partners have been asking for, without the price tag traditionally associated with it. As of now, however, there is still no price tag announced. We’ll keep our eyes and ears open as March 2011 rolls around and Blue Coat’s channel partners ramp up.

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