Steelbox names new CEO, Brian Cohen

ATLANTA--Steelbox Networks has hired Brian Cohen, an IT security veteran, to replace Chip Howes as chief executive officer. Cohen said one of his top priorities over his first three months on the job will be to "build and cultivate our relationship with our channel players." Howes will remain with Steelbox as a member of the board of directors. Cohen comes most recently from SPI Dynamics, a Web application security firm where he served as president and CEO before the company was acquired by Hewlett-Packard this past August. Prior to that, Cohen in 1992 founded Technologic, a creator of firewall security appliances that merged with eSoft in 1999. This, he said, has provided him with a "pretty deep background working with chief information officers and chief security officers, and with the IT networking world." He admitted to having "no real experience in video surveillance," but said he was attracted to working with IT network managers and chief information officers as they struggle with the challenge of "previously unplanned types of traffic on the network." Further, he said society is ready to embrace video surveillance in the name of increased security and safety, and "in my view, we have the most robust high-end infrastructure solution" for IP video surveillance. Cohen said this presents an opportunity for integrators and distributors to partner with Steelbox in offering a piece of a complete video surveillance solution, and, "from a customer perspective, they're looking for a total solution. So the integrator market is the customer touchpoint for the long haul, which makes them a group we absolutely have to cultivate, to make sure they want to assist with the distribution of our products. We are clearly a channel type of organization and we need to build and cultivate the relationship with the channel players." He said Kin Mitra, Steelbox vice president of sales for the Americas, has particular experience and skill, developed during his time at Checkpoint Technologies, in building an integrator channel.