RSA Security is to undertake its first review of its distribution partners across EMEA.
The vendor remained tight-lipped over whether the review will mean axing existing UK distributors. But Tim Pickard, vice-president of international marketing at RSA, told CRN it could result in some new and additional distributors being appointed across major territories in Europe.
“It is early days, but in our eight-year history we’ve never done a formal distribution review across Europe,” he said. “It has only been done on a regional basis, which has led to inconsistencies. We want to address the fact that our business has changed.”
Pickard added that the vendor plans to launch a programme for distribution partners by the end of 2006 as the latest part of its SecurWorld Partner Programme revamp.
RSA works with Sphinx, Azlan and Bell Microproducts in the UK. All three will have to complete ‘expression of interest’ forms, which will then go through an external review process to be evaluated.
Pickard said the firm has already completed a similar process with its VAR partners 18 months ago (CRN, 2 May 2005).
“That review helped improve our reseller strategy,” he said. “It is our intention to have a balanced portfolio of [distribution] partners that service the volume and value parts of the business.”
He added that the vendor hopes to have new partners appointed and up and running by 2007.
Duncan Hume, divisional manager for security at Bell Microproducts Europe, said: “It is sensible for any vendor to review channel relationships and I welcome it. RSA did this with its reseller community and now it is doing it with distribution.”
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