McAfee Platinum partners at risk following increased services focus

McAfee's top-tier partners face being demoted if they do not hit new service-certification requirements by the end of the year, according to global channel VP Richard Steranka.

Speaking to CRN sister publication Channelnomics Europe at McAfee's MPower Cybersecurity Summit in Amsterdam, Steranka said that McAfee is implementing the new training criteria in a bid to better reward partners that have invested in the firm.

He explained that the move intends to better reward VARs who are building their business around McAfee's software, rather than solely rewarding transactional partners who hold "more than 300" security vendors in their portfolio.

"At the beginning of 2017 it was a new requirement of being a Platinum partner to have two service delivery specialists in at least three of our product areas: end-point, infrastructure, data, or security operations."

"There was no incentive [previously], so we created an incentive," he said.

Partners have until 31 December to obtain the necessary certifications, when their place in McAfee's partner programme will be evaluated.

The vendor has 250 Platinum partners globally, a number which Steranka said will decrease as some current Platinum partners will inevitably be demoted under the new criteria.

"There are many partners that have achieved Platinum in the past who will not get certified, and they will fall out for sure," he said.

"Our goal is when a customer comes to us and says 'we have this problem' we can recommend them a qualified Platinum partner."

The incentive is part of McAfee's plans to increase its share of wallet with its partners, and become "the security vendor of choice" with its customers and partners.

Although new certifications have been added to the programme, partners are still given rebates depending on how they perform against set quarterly revenue targets. Partners hitting 80 to 100 per cent of their sales target get two per cent rebate, those achieving 100 per cent to 150 per cent make four per cent, while those exceeding 150 per cent of sales can earn an eight per cent quarterly rebate.

McAfee operates 100 per cent through the channel in EMEA, while 80 per cent of global sales go through an indirect model.

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Send to  

• Topics
• Security
• Vendor
• McAfee
• partner programme
• vendor
• IT security