Hamburg and Frankfurt, 18th January 2013 – The German IT security specialist gateprotect will start with its own cycling team at the cycle race “Race across America“ this year. In June 2013, the team “4Athletes powered by gateprotect” will cover a distance of more than 5,000 kilometers across the USA without a break, overcoming 30,000 meters of altitude. Among the four athletes, gateprotect’s CEO Dr. Peter Smeets will participate.

The engagement at the RAAM underlines the importance of the Northern American market for gateprotect. The USA is one of the key markets for the IT security vendor. Christian Reuter, responsible for sales at gateprotect in the USA: “With the race we are sending a clear signal with respect to the market. Thanks to our technologically advanced, user-friendly products “Made in Germany“ and thanks to our local partners we have the strength to make it right to the top in the largest market for IT security solutions. Thus, our motto for the race is also “gateprotect across America“.

Thanks to the popularity and the great media interest worldwide, the cycle race “Race Across America (RAAM)” offers an excellent platform for positioning gateprotect effectively. Dr. Peter Smeets, CEO of gateprotect, underlines the company’s engagement as follows: “As a globally acting IT security specialist, we always have to be a step ahead in terms of technology, offer reliable security and optimally adapt to changing environments. This challenge can be overcome only with professionalism, sophisticated products and – most important – as a team. At the RAAM, the values that count are exactly those that we are living in our company: team spirit, professionalism and reliability.”

Besides the personal challenge, the RAAM is also an opportunity of charitable commitment for Dr. Peter Smeets and his experienced teammates Frank Vytrisal, Georg Heckens and José Alvarez. In addition to fundraising campaigns at the CeBIT, the high tech touring bike of Dr. Peter Smeets will be auctioned to the highest bidder after the end of the RAAM. The proceeds shall be used to initiate the establishment of a bicycle repair shop for children in Frankfurt. From autumn 2013 on, children from socially underprivileged parts of Frankfurt will be given the possibility to repair bicycles together with social workers and thus gain access to manual skills and to the world of employment, among others.

“The RAAM involves highest demands with respect to the physical, mental, emotional and organizational capabilities of the entire team, which consists of fourteen members”, says Dr. Peter Smeets. “Our goal is to make it from Los Angeles to Washington in six days and five nights.” The intensive training preparations have already started. The interested public may find information on the homepage http://www.raam.4athletes.com/ and follow the status of the training preparations in the cyclists’ blog under http://raam.4athletes.com/newsarchiv.html.

During the race, the gateprotect team will be accompanied by its own film team that will capture pictures from all stages of the race across the USA in order to create a documentary that will show both the challenge and the exertions of the race as well as the aesthetics and atmosphere in impressive images. A first trailer can be viewed already now under http://www.raam.4athletes.com/Media-Team.html.

Sponsoring Contract with Eintracht Frankfurt e.V.
gateprotect’s engagement at the “Race Across America“ is embedded in a long-term sport sponsoring of the triathlon division of Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. The cooperation, which will start in January 2013, includes not only the preparation of and performance at the RAAM, but also the support of the youth work, for example by means of jersey sponsorship. With numerous marketing and sales activities, gateprotect will promote its commitment in sports, for example at the CeBIT in Hannover, 5 – 9 March 2013, hall 12, booth C 82.

Download this press release under: http://www.gateprotect.com