SurfControl hits back at BlackSpider dilution claims
Vendor defiant, despite the departure of four of its managed services staff to rival
SurfControl has hit back at claims that it is diluting the BlackSpider managed services brand after its acquisition six months ago (CRN Online, 13 July).
Last week four members of BlackSpider’s channel team joined rival managed services supplier Email Systems, including its former channel director Ian Moyse.
Greg Miller, sales director at Email Systems, said: “The BlackSpider brand was great, but it has become diluted since the acquisition. This is great for us, because although we may be behind in terms of market share, we are ahead in terms of product offering.”
Miller claimed a number of BlackSpider partners and customers had also approached Email Systems in recent months.
However, Harnish Patel, senior vice-president EMEA at SurfControl, said: “The managed services business is a substantial revenue stream for SurfControl. This year we will have doubled the BlackSpider business.”
He said that SurfControl had also invested in more channel support since the acquisition.
“BlackSpider is very much part of our strategy going forward. I don’t really know why people think we would want to dilute the brand.”