Sourcefire’s revamped partner programme includes a business development fund for Premier partners. It also features Sourcefire’s first deal registration tool.

In return, Premier partners must have two fully trained technical and sales staff and agree a business plan with a seven-figure revenue target.

Anthony Perridge, who joined Sourcefire in January in the new post of EMEA channel director, said the vendor had doubled its active UK Premier partner base to eight this year. New resellers include Netstore reactivated partners, such as Axial Systems and MIS.

“There was a channel programme in place before, but we did not have sufficient resources in the country to manage partners. What is changing is the implementation,” he said.

Perridge added that Sourcefire has put renewed emphasis on training, having technically trained 50 people in Europe in quarter one alone.

Nick Garlick, managing director of Sourcefire Premier partner Nebulas Solutions Group, said: “Sourcefire UK was constrained before and did not have time for things like business development plans. But it has addressed that by investing hugely in its UK team.”