On January 17, 2018, WatchGuard announced acquisition of Percipient Networks, a developer of simple, affordable, automated security solutions for small and midsize organizations. Percipient Networks’ flagship product, Strongarm, stops phishing and malware attacks by offering an easy to deploy, security focused Domain Name System (DNS) service. Integrated into WatchGuard’s security platform, Strongarm will further improve the security efficacy of our existing malware protection techniques, increase the value of the company’s popular Total Security Suite (TSS), and become a key element in the evolution of WatchGuard’s cloud security offering.

Today WatchGuard blocks access dangerous sites based on a feed of known malicious URLs and also allow customers to block traffic to potentially risky sites via category blocking. Once integrated, the new service, based on the Strongarm technology, will add blocking based on known malicious domains. Furthermore, by monitoring requests at the domain level, we will be extending our DNS filtering capabilities to all ports and protocols, providing customers with the strongest possible protection from the widest variety of threats.

The new service will be generally available as part of the company’s all-in-one security package, Total Security Suite, in an upcoming release of Fireware. All active Total Security Suite customers will gain immediate access to the new feature at no additional charge with the simple check of a box. You can gain early access to the new service later this month, via the WatchGuard Beta Program.

Please note that WatchGuard will not be reaching out to our end-user directly to communicate the value of this transaction. We invite you to do so using the sample customer letter we have added to the Partner Portal for your reference. We believe that this is an excellent opportunity for you to reach out to our joint customers, reiterate the value of the Total Security Suite, and to remind them why they choose you and why you choose WatchGuard. 

Both WatchGuard and Percipient Networks proudly tout a commitment to serving the SMB market through the delivery of sophisticated simplicity, enabling resource constrained organizations to deploy enterprise-grade security. This powerful combination of complementary technologies and best-in-class talent will expand our solutions and accelerate innovation for all our combined customers and partners.