Websense plans SME distribution

Distributors eager to get on board for SME market drive

Websense has received ‘significant’ interest from the distributor community after it sent out letters of intent to launch an SME market drive.

As revealed by CRN, the security vendor sent out letters to a select group of distributors in the UK, France, Germany and Benelux inviting them to apply for SME distributor status, including its incumbent UK distribution partners Computerlinks and e92plus.

Frank Coggrave, regional director for UK and Ireland at Websense, told CRN the firm had replies from about 35 interested distributors across Europe.

“We have a strong position in the enterprise space, but 80 per cent of our customers are sub-500 users,” he said. “As a result, we are working to put together a solution for the SME space and we are looking for a dedicated distributor. We have until the end of this month to make a decision.”

Dave Ellis, director of e-security at Computerlinks, said: “At present, the Websense products are predominantly enterprise focused, but we have already been heavily selling into the SME space. Once there is a specific product for the space designed from the ground up, it will be a fantastic opportunity for partners.”

Websense gears up for SME assault