Barracuda and Arrow ECS part ways

Vendor moves from four to three distributors in the UK

Mukesh Gupta: This allows the remaining distributors to put more investment into Barracuda

Security vendor Barracuda Networks is reverting to three UK distributors after parting company with relative newcomer Arrow ECS.

CRN understands the duo have mutually agreed to wind up their relationship, despite only getting together at the start of 2009.

This will leave Barracuda with three UK distributors in e92plus, Wick Hill and Bell Micro.

Neither firm was able to comment officially, but it is thought that Barracuda’s SME leanings did not gel with Arrow ECS’ focus on enterprise.

Mukesh Gupta, managing director of e92plus, said: “I think Barracuda was over-distributed with four and three is the right number. This allows the remaining distributors to put more investment into Barracuda.”

Ian Kilpatrick, chairman of Wick Hill, said: "We are still growing the market with Barracuda so I am pleased to see them continuing to drive support through us."

The move is also a continuation of the trend among security vendors to rationalise distributor numbers. Symantec and Websense are among those to have recently made cuts while McAfee is currently undergoing a distributor review.