CA unveils master plan

More partners to to be promoted to master reseller status next year

Computer Associates (CA) will promote more partners to master reseller status next year, in a move that has received a mixed reaction from the channel.

The software giant recently signed Tolerant as its master reseller for the antivirus module of its eTrust software, and Tony Martin, regional manager of CA UK and Ireland, said he plans to introduce it across a raft of products.

"This is a big step for us," he said. "When we gave antivirus to Tolerant we were careful. We have lots of products we could put through master resellers. We want to open up new markets."

Martin stressed that CA's ArcServe storage product would be unaffected, but said its eTrust security software, Unicenter management software and some of its smaller products will now be handled by master resellers.

But one distributor, which asked not to be named, said this suggested CA was "looking for ways to cut out distribution".

Martin said this was not his intention. "We have distribution for anything under 100 licences," he said. The advantage of master resellers, he added, is that they have relationships with both resellers and end-users.

Mark Jarvis, divisional director of marketing at distributor InTechnology, said he was fully aware of CA's strategy and was "in discussions" with CA.

Tolerant understandably supported the move. Tyrone Clay, sales director at the firm, said master resellers serve end-users better because they know the product they sell and offer targeted training and support.

But Ian French, president of distributor Bell Microproducts Europe, which recently split with CA, said: "It doesn't sound like a well thought-out strategy, but having said that, Tolerant is very good. If CA can find more companies like Tolerant then it could make it work."

Separately, Martin said PC World Business Direct was his reseller of choice for very small businesses. It now runs Unicenter to augment its services business, and Martin said the relationship will help increase CA's sales in this sector.