McAfee distributors to undergo reaccreditation
Security giant sets partners 90-day target
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Security giant McAfee is shaking up its European distribution channel in a move which could see some partners fall by the wayside.
The vendor is setting its distribution partners a 90-day target to get reaccredited under phase two of its McAfee SecurityAlliance scheme.
The new certification will provide distributors with a "demonstrable business measure of skills to encourage reseller confidence", McAfee claimed.
Once qualified, distributors will also benefit from increased financial support in the form of a new business development fund to replace current rebate and incentive schemes, and simplified single contracts covering focused areas of business.
Wayne Carter, EMEA channel manager at McAfee, said: "We are looking to be fully operational during the fourth quarter of this year, following the consultation period. We did a similar thing with our reseller channel last year (CRN, 4 November) because a one-size-fits-all approach just doesn't work any more.
"We are not going to make broadliners specialise, nor are we going to make value-added distributors sell in bulk to small resellers. We just want our distributors to focus on areas that are right for them."
He admitted that some distributors may not make the grade. "In some countries some distributors may have to be replaced by others if we don't think they are getting the traction, or if they are not committed to making the investment. We will have to wait and see," he said.
Greg Finnigan, head of product marketing at distributor Bell Microproducts Europe, welcomed the change. "McAfee's distribution channel needs to add more value. There are distributors across Europe that don't distribute its products well. You need to know what you are doing when talking about protecting customer security," he said.
"Some distributors will be worried about this because it means a step up and some investment. They need to be sure that McAfee is the right line for their business before they make that investment."