Cyberoam adds UK channel manager
UTM vendor bills itself as champion of the underdog as it launches direct UK presence
Unified threat management (UTM) vendor Cyberoam has added its first feet in the street in the UK as it bills itself as the champion of smaller resellers.
Three years after appointing e92plus as its first UK distributor, the India-based vendor has recruited its first UK channel manager in the shape of former e92plus-er Ricky Knights (pictured).
Cyberoam also plans to open a UK office with a dedicated support team within the next 12 months.
Knights claimed smaller resellers had been left out in the cold because rival UTM vendors were too embroiled in cracking the enterprise space with top partners.
He positioned Cyberoam as a champion of the underdog.
"I have only been in the job for three months and every day I am hearing resellers just are not happy with the treatment they are getting from vendors." Knights said. "They are slashing discounts and resellers are not seeing the support they want.
"I am here to find out their pain points. I want to meet every type of customer from MSSPs to one-man bands. Everyone is important to us."
Knights said Cyberoam now has 50 to 60 active resellers who buy through distributors e92plus and VCW. The vendor recently parted ways with its third distributor, Interactive Ideas, after mutually concluding there was a lack of fit between the two firms.
Mukesh Gupta, managing director of e92plus, said: "It's good to see Cyberoam is putting more investment in as it does require feet on the street. A local office would help make the brand more recognisable and ensure it is taken more seriously than it is now."
Ian Kilpatrick, chairman of rival security distributor Wick Hill, said: "I agree with Ricky regarding the opportunities in the SME space for UTMs we've seen significant continued growth with both our WatchGuard and Check Point partners in this area and have seen a weakening of some of the competition as some weaker vendors have moved focus. We're forecasting to gain sales and new resellers this year as a result of this".