Panda Security is trying to break free for the overcrowded security market by bolstering its channel partner benefits and focusing on the cloud.
The security provider has been battling Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro and others for close to a decade and the company believe that its new Cloud Security Product suites will give them a competitive advantage in the market.
“I think now is the time for the cloud and in the last year customers were hesitant about trying cloud services. Panda has been in the cloud for two years and we tested the waters so we understand the cloud better than any other. Our cloud security products have been tested and we plan to educate them on how to do it with our channel partners,” said Patti Smith, Panda Canada channel chief.
With that Panda has abandoned its mixed direct and indirect sales model for a 100 per cent channel friendly plan. Under her direction, Smith has already switched Panda Canada’s inside sales team to channel account managers and sales facilitators. The next step is to attract new channel partners and build on their base of 300 in Canada.
Panda’s new channel program features renewal protection with 30 per cent margins when licenses or service agreements expire, a new lead generation program, new marketing and training support, an update partner portal site with customizable marketing materials, more market development funds and promotions, and a cloud services plan that will be hosted by Panda but delivered and managed by the channel partner.
Joao Xavier, CEO Panda Canada told CDN that he supports this plan and that Smith has brought Panda Canada a greater knowledge of the Canadian channel market. “We are from Europe and it’s important to have this channel knowledge if we are to be successful with the new 100 per cent channel focus,” Xavier said.
Smith added that the new channel program will be tiered with a business partner, premier and elite designations.
The business partner will have support of inside sale. The next level up is premier and those channel partners will have access to account manager and be placed on the reseller locator site. At elite they get access to Panda’s lead generation program. Elite partners can achieve between 35 and 45 per cent margins, Smith added.
Possibly the most interesting part of the new program is that there is no dollar value assigned to any level. Smith said that she realized for partners to enter into business with Panda it would be difficult for those solution providers to achieve a dollar value commitment so instead it will be based on the number of sales and technical reps that are trained on Panda security software.
“I want to put out that olive branch that Panda wants to partner with you and have them tell us what markets they work with and we can work with them on a geographic or vertical level,” she said.
Panda will also offer their products as a white label solution. “Basically the partner can label it their own and make what the market will bare,” she said.
