Mako 'renegotiated contract terms' with Gen-i

Gen-i might be acquiring certain intellectual property from Mako Networks.

Sources have indicated to ComputerWorld NZ that the deal will involve transfer of capabilities and technical expertise, and potentially involve changes to employee structure within Mako.

While an official statement from Gen-i was not forthcoming, Kevin Ptak, global communications manager at Mako Networks, had this to say via email: “We have recently renegotiated our contract terms to provide Gen-i with the SecureME service, so as to better focus our energies on growing our international business whilst maintaining a strong presence in New Zealand.

“As you may know, Gen-i is the largest provider of Mako Networks services in New Zealand under its SecureME offering.

“This move will ensure SecureME customers are able to receive the same level of service from the two companies, while freeing Mako resources to focus on overseas markets in the United States, Australia and Asia, which represent more significant growth opportunities for us.

”Mako will continue to support a channel business within New Zealand, though Gen-i will remain the largest domestic provider of Mako Networks services.”

ComputerWorld NZ is still awaiting comments from Mako involving more details related to the deal, and whether it would involve any staff movement or redundancies.

The move follows increasing success for Mako Networks in overseas markets, including the deal that it signed with Sprint in the US in November last year. The agreement allows US businesses to buy Mako’s technology to protect transactional data and payments, and is expected to provide millions of dollars in revenue for the firm in the next couple of years.

The agreement with Sprint followed nearly two years of work in the US market, some of it from the Kiwi Landing Pad in San Francisco.

Mako, which specialises in small site security and PCI DSS compliance solutions provided through the cloud, was formed as YellowTuna Networks in 2000. Bill Farmer, current CEO of the firm, joined the team in 2003.

The NZ government has directed around $5 million in R&D funding to the company since 2009. Mako and Gen-i have had a long-standing partnership, whereby the latter resells Mako’s technology as a service, called SecureME, to businesses.

Mako Networks currently operates from offices in San Francisco, London and Auckland, and through channel partners around the world.