SurfControl to shift to two-tier sales strategy
Security vendor reviews distribution model
SurfControl has revealed it is making the switch to a two-tier channel model in the UK. The vendor is currently in talks with a handful of distributors.
Earlier this year, SurfControl admitted it was “reviewing its distribution strategy”, but that it had not made any formal decisions one way or the other (CRN, 16 January).
Speaking exclusively to CRN, Harnish Patel, senior vice-president of EMEA sales at SurfControl, said: “We are going to move to a two-tier distribution model. We are currently talking to potential distributors.”
CRN understands that SurfControl is in talks with three distributors: e92plus, which already supplies SurfControl’s Web Filter software pre-installed on Celestix appliances, Sphinx and Wick Hill. However, Patel said the vendor is willing to talk to other interested distributors before making a final decision.
“We are keen to get it sorted by May. We would like to go into our
next fiscal year having got this done,” he added.
Mukesh Gupta, managing director of e92plus, said his firm would be
keen to sign.
“From our point of view, SurfControl will fit perfectly into what we are doing. Following the Celestix agreement, we already have a good understanding of some of its products, so we are one step ahead,” he said.
Ian Kilpatrick, chairman of Wick Hill Group, said: “We have been
approached about a distribution deal.
We already sell SurfControl in
Germany. However, my understanding is that it has a new distribution manager starting this week, so SurfControl is still formalising its plans.”
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