Baltimore recommits to the channel

Security firm seeks the help of independent software vendors

Security software vendor Baltimore has reaffirmed its commitment to the channel following the appointment of a new chief executive last week.

The firm, which has issued three profit warnings this year and shed 18 per cent of its workforce in a bid to save £14m, said last week that it has not always been as channel-focused as it should have been.

"In the past our channel has been based on quantity rather than quality, and we are determined to focus on the right partners," said Aidan Gallagher, executive vice president for strategic business development at Baltimore. "But the appointment of Bijan Khezri as chief executive is the catalyst for the firm coming together."

Khezri joined the board at Baltimore as a non-executive director in July, having previously been responsible for corporate strategy at the company.

"We realise the need for strong partnering with the independent software vendor developer community to get more applications on the market and to link our existing applications together," Gallagher said, adding that the firm is looking to strengthen its managed services channel.

Baltimore strongly believes it can recapture its "former market-leading position by making better use of the channel and focusing on the future rather than the past", explained Gallagher.

Brian Burke, manager at Dun & Bradstreet firm Computanet, maintained that this was the right move.

"Most organisations have identified that moving to the channel is extremely worthwhile," he said. "In the current environment, many firms are having to rethink how they get their products to market, and the channel has the expertise to help them."