Kaspersky focuses on better partner relations
Anti-virus vendor has claimed it will show partners that it considers them part of its extended salesforce
Anti-virus vendor Kaspersky Labs is investing in its end-user marketing strategy to raise its profile and smooth the path for partner sales.
The vendor recently held its eighth international partner conference in Athens, with VARs from more than 20 different countries taking part. Issues discussed included strategic and short-term plans, product development and evaluating partner relations.
Simon Geach, channel and retail sales manager for UK and Ireland at Kaspersky, said: “For an anti-virus vendor of our size, holding an international partner conference is a significant undertaking. It provides the opportunity for our partners to meet other resellers and Kaspersky executives from different territories. We can show partners that we see them as part of our extended salesforce.
“Over the next year, our partners will see our determination to promote our brand and gain greater recognition from end-users, particularly corporates. This will make it easier for them to sell Kaspersky applications.”
Geach added that the vendor is also gearing up to release three new products in the coming months to further help partners drive revenue.
Ritchie Jeune, chief executive of VAR Evolution, said: “The partner event allowed us to see that Kaspersky is getting traction in large enterprises and to see how it is getting on in other territories. It has been very successful in the UK with OEM partnerships, but the corporate demand is not there yet, and it is a bit behind in the desktop market. That is the challenge it has got: to raise its profile.
“This is going to be a telling year for the corporate side of sales. It will be a good indicator of how the company is going to go.”