Citrix Online Services opens up to channel

COS ditches direct-only model after signing pan-EMEA deal with distributor Arrow

Citrix's Online Services (COS) division is dipping its toe into the channel for the first time as it signs up distributor Arrow for a European reseller recruitment drive.

Until the turn of 2013, COS sold direct to the end user, occasionally using a referral scheme which brought in VARs, but claimed its new channel strategy will form a "key plank" of its strategy in the future.

COS would not divulge what percentage of the business it will open up to resellers, but said it wants to start off small to ensure it gets the move right.

Arrow is a long-time partner of Citrix, but the vendor's Online Services division did look at a handful of other disties, including Prianto – which it works with in Germany – before picking the firm. COS stressed it wants to start its move into the channel slowly, but would not rule out working with other distributors, including Prianto and a number of others, in the future.

The pan-EMEA agreement with Arrow, which will be the sole distie for the whole region, will see it take Citrix's SaaS products out across its European VAR base via its ArrowSphere cloud platform.

ArrowSphere launched last summer and operates in countries across Europe and North America and allows VARs to customise the platform and products to fit their own branding.

COS' SaaS portfolio includes its Online, Go To Meeting, Go To My PC and Go To Assist products, and will be sold both to Arrow's existing partners as well as new ones, which Citrix claims the distie is "aggressively" recruiting.

COS' senior channel strategy director Richard Wolfe-Daimpre said he has no target in place for how many new resellers he wants to sign up through Arrow, and insisted he is looking for quality partners and not necessarily a high quantity.

Robert Gratzl, vice president and general manager in EMEA for COS' SaaS products, said:

"Our agreement with Arrow is an important step in extending our pan-European reach and helping our customers embrace mobile work styles and new ways of working.

"We selected Arrow and its ArrowSphere platform because of the highly innovative approach to taking our SaaS products to their reseller and customer community."