Clearswift resellers hail distribution axe
Partners hope switch to single-tier model will make it easier to do business with security vendor
Clearswift's partners have cautiously welcomed the vendor's unorthodox decision to move to a single-tier channel model.
The web and email security vendor served terms to its sole UK distributor, Arrow ECS, last week. Its 250 active UK resellers will migrate to a single-tier model over the next two months.
Miles Rippon, vice president channels at Clearswift, said that directly supporting resellers will enable the company to respond more rapidly to end-user opportunities, in what has become a replacement market.
James McKee, security manager at Clearswift partner Qual, was among those who welcomed the move.
"The transition from Sphinx to Arrow was poorly managed, and we gave up using them for help and have just been dealing with Clearswift anyway," he said.
Paul Prior, managing director of Foursys, said: "As one of Clearswift's main partners and one that understands its product well, there was very little added value that distribution could bring to us. So this is positive for us; it makes life simpler."
Thiew Tan, director of IT Protocol, added: "So long as we get the support and price integrity, it will not make a huge difference to us."
Rival vendor Bloxx also uses a single-tier model, but vice president of sales Pat Dunne had reservations about Clearswift's decision.
"We do not have as many as 250 partners. I am not sure that Clearswift has enough resource to put a lot of effort into that many partners, but it works well for us."