Bios is first UK reseller to go Platinum with ISS
VAR completes range of tests to achieve vendor's top partnership status
Bios has become the first UK reseller to achieve Platinum Partner status with Internet Security Systems (ISS).
The accolade, which is the highest a partner can achieve with the vendor, saw public-sector specialist Bios complete a range of exams and certification levels. The Platinum level is part of ISS’s new channel programme which it introduced last year.
Howard Freeman, channel manager at ISS, said: “Bios has consistently demonstrated the highest technical standards and continues to show its ability in deploying ISS solutions, which is why it is the first in the UK to qualify.”
To become an ISS Platinum Partner, resellers have to have at least three engineers qualified in six ISS product-based disciplines. This equates to 26 exams per person in subjects such as Unified Threat Management, network intrusion prevention, vulnerability assessment and desktop prevention.
Once qualified partners receive additional benefits, including lead generation, higher discounts, full access to ISS’s direct-touch sales team, priority technical support and an early product access programme.
Freeman said the vendor is still looking for additional Platinum Partners, but intends to have only a maximum of five or six in the UK.
“It is very exclusive. We expect them to keep their skills and sales people up to date,” Freeman said. All Platinum partners will buy through ISS’s UK distributor Unipalm, he added.
Len Findlay, managing director of Bios, said in a statement: “This accreditation will help us move even further into these new markets and will show our customers we have the expertise and ability to deliver the best products and solutions for their needs.”
Adam Shinwell, marketing manager at Bios, said: “The accolade of Platinum Solutions Partner stands as true testament to our dedication towards technical excellence.”