Cylink
Cylink was known for network security, for providing WAN Encryption Appliances. When they hired me as VP Worldwide Marketing, it was my first VP Marketing role.
CHALLENGE
Cylink’s historical “bread & butter” was their line of WAN Encryption Appliances. After years of product development and a few acquisitions, they started expanding their product line to include numerous other security products. Cylink had several products; they had just introduced a software VPN, were about to introduce a PKI solution, as well as a wireless product and a brand new hardware VPN. These disparate solutions seemed like disjointed one-off’s.
SOLUTION
The entire product line needed to be unified so that the company could talk about the business problems they solve with their security solutions.
I developed the tagline "Securing eBusiness" to provide an umbrella under which all the Cylink solutions could be grouped as a family. It encompassed both the legacy WAN encryption business and the new security offerings. Once we embraced that "Securing eBusiness" umbrella, all the software & hardware products and services fit under that banner as a comprehensive offering, a suite of solutions.
In addition, the Cylink technical team had identified and addressed a serious vulnerability in wireless security. Adding that into our family of solutions, I coined the term, "the Gap in WAP"* to describe the unique value proposition of Cylink's wireless security solutions.
This work helped transform Cylink from an engineering-driven organization into a market- and customer-driven organization, positioning them for successful acquisition. Cylink, a public company (NASD: CYLK) was bought by SafeNet and moved to Boston.
*Tech note: When the WTLS-to-SSL protocol translation occurs in the WAP server, the data is unencrypted and temporarily exposed to attack until it is re-encrypted). Cylink resolved the "Gap in WAP" by encrypting above the WTLS protocol level at the application layer.
*Fun tidbit: In late '99, I had just returned from London where I saw the signs in the tube: "Mind the Gap" which is how I thought of the phrase, "The Gap in WAP".
Achievements & Work Samples:
Press Release: Cylink To Provide End-to-End Security for WAP e-Business Transactions
“In my 20 plus years as a senior sales executive, I have never worked with a marketing executive with so much sales savvy. While Theresa’s focus is marketing, the plans, programs and marketing initiatives she developed had a significant positive impact on sales.”