Clearswift flies into services space
Vendor unveils its first UK managed services VAR and goes on hunt for additional partners
Rippon: We work with VARs that deploy their own managed services
Clearswift has unveiled mid-market reseller Ultima Business Solutions as its first UK managed services recruit and is in talks with several other potential partners.
The web and email security vendor launched its cloud-based offering to the channel in November, following a successful trial with Portuguese telco ONI Communications.
Miles Rippon, vice president of worldwide channels at Clearswift, said: “Our approach is to work with VARs that deploy their own managed services and can brand it as their own.
“We have a very aggressive commercial package for them to come on board and are in discussions with three other resellers.”
Simon Walker, managed services director at Ultima, said the VAR had recently completed a £250,000 refurbishment of its technical support centre and would offer the Clearswift service from within that environment, targeting firms with 50-250 users.
“These firms have smaller IT departments that may not want to have this type of service on their site,” said Walker. “Clearswift understands the flexible nature of the product and hasn’t put in rigid guidelines, which makes it easier for managed service providers to sell.”
Clearswift is also running a promotion offering resellers double the margins for registering deals that represent new business for Clearswift. Resellers can get 16 per cent off, compared with the usual eight per cent, until the end of March.
“We are seeing about double the number of deals registered,” said Rippon. “In the first 24 hours we saw 20 new opportunities coming from our partner base.”
Rippon said the number of customers taking on both its web and email appliances almost doubled in the quarter, reflecting its recent drive to train partners in both technologies.