ISS speaks out over direct sales rumours

Internet Security Systems (ISS) has rubbished rumours that it is snubbing its channel to fulfil large contracts directly.

To demonstrate its commitment to partners the security vendor last week announced that it is doubling partner margins on all its products to between 15 and 30 per cent, and will be announcing a new channel strategy in the coming weeks.

Howard Freeman, channel business development manager at ISS, said: "Recent accusations that we are dropping the channel for certain large accounts is absolute rubbish. We are 100 per cent channel.

"We have gone direct in the past and the larger accounts will see our direct-touch people involved, but the contracts will always be fulfilled through partners and distributors."

Freeman said ISS is looking to expand its channel, particularly in the SME space, and will be recruiting new partners until the end of the year.

"We want to recruit about 50 new partners, just enough so the margin isn't diluted. Some of our competitors are over-distributed, which means price pressure for their channel. We don't want that for our partners."

Partners will be provided with a partner pack and access to a specialist partner portal. ISS will also offer certain partners lead generation, Freeman said.

David Ellis, director of e-security division at ISS's sole UK distributor, Unipalm, was confident that the vendor remained committed to its channel.

"ISS is one of our fastest-growing vendors. The [intrusion prevention] market has changed in the past 18 months, and resellers that are not necessarily security specialists are supplying ISS products," he said.

Ellis said ISS has had a more direct approach in the US, but that its European model is "more about value-added services".

"To do that you need the channel, and we have no concerns about ISS's channel strategy," he said.

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