Fortinet targets high-touch success

Roman: we want to make the departments work together to create more business opportunities for the channel

Fortinet is to take a high-touch channel approach in the enterprise space with
the integration of its EMEA channel, marketing and renewals operations.

It was announced last month that Emilio Roman will oversee the vendor’s marketing activity and channel strategy across the EMEA region. He will also lead a team that handles renewals of service and maintenance contracts. He claimed forging ties between the three strands would benefit the channel.

“We want to make the departments work together with one basic goal -­ to provide useful tools and create more business opportunities for the channel,” he said.
Roman claimed it was important to keep Fortinet’s number of EMEA partners “under control”.

The vendor works with 2,500 resellers across EMEA, of which five per cent are top-level Gold Partners. A further 10 per cent have Silver status.

In the UK, the vendor has three Managed Security Service Partners, 12 Gold and 29 Silver VARs. Roman added that Bronze partners would generate SME business, while a high-touch model would fuel enterprise sales.

“Our sales force and account managers will focus on working with the Gold and Silver partners, using a direct touch with end customers,” he said.

Barrie Desmond, director of Fortinet distributor VADition, said: “A big proportion of Fortinet’s business is renewal-based and 80 per cent of its marketing funds go through the channel, so this is a good strategy.”

Ed Callacher, networking and security divisional manager at Bell Micro, said: “Fortinet’s consolidation of security products into one all-encompassing offering is something our partners are talking about.”