Websense to demote a quarter of its resellers

Channel clearout will see underperforming resellers downgraded and partners enabled for new products

We are giving more resources to those who do things correctly

A quarter of Websense’s Platinum and Gold partners will have their statuses downgraded as the vendor spring-cleans its channel.

The content filtering specialist is in the process of “re-enabling” its top resellers following the launch of its first appliance, the V10K.

There are about 70 UK Platinum and Gold partners, that enjoy a direct relationship with Websense.

Pat Dunne, senior director of UK and Ireland at Websense, said 25 per cent of them would “slip down a tier or fall out of the programme”.

“This is partly to enable partners for the new products,” he said. “We are making sure those who do not step up to the mark are not left in the programme and giving more resources to those who are doing things correctly.”

Most Gold and Platinum resellers have completed training for V10K, the high-end real-time appliance it launched last quarter, Dunne said.

“This appliance does all the analysis we generally do in the lab in a customer’s premises,” he explained.

Etienne Greeff, director of Websense partner MIS, said: “The more solutions-focused partners help vendors create the market and that is where most vendors are realising they should focus their efforts.”