Sentryst courts VARs with trade-in scheme
Distributor moves in on rivals' resellers with programme for St Bernard appliances
Security distributor Sentryst is targeting “disenchanted” Websense and SurfControl resellers with a trade-in programme for St Bernard Software appliances.
With Websense unveiling plans to acquire SurfControl last month (CRN, 27 April), Sentryst is keen to exploit any uncertainty in the duo’s respective channels.
Alan Reid, managing director of St Bernard distributor Sentryst, told CRN: “In the next couple of weeks, we’ll launch a trade-in campaign for St Bernard Software. If resellers are concerned about their position, they can come and look at our offering.
“Websense and SurfControl have fought tooth and nail and are now best buddies. Resellers may be confused as to which one they should be selling after the two competed for so long.”
Reid said the programme, which will launch this month, would allow customers to trial St Bernard’s appliances for 30 days at no cost or obtain a free appliance when they buy a three-year subscription.
“We’re ideally looking to get 20 of their resellers signed up,” he said.
But James McKee, security manager at Websense VAR Qual, said: “Giving away appliances is a short-term strategy and I’m very happy with the way Websense is treating its resellers. If St Bernard approached us it would have to be a no.”
Reid also said that Sentryst was seeing good traction around its two newest vendors – continuous data protection vendor Cibecs and unified threat management specialist Clavister (CRN, 16 April).
“For Clavister, we’ve already got six VARs on board, with another dozen partners interested,” he said.
“Because of its price performance, some of our resellers have been putting it in as a point solution such as intrusion detection.”