Guidance signs Wick Hill for two-tier channel glory

Distributor claims deploying Guidance's cybersecurity wares will make resellers stickier with customers

Cybersecurity vendor Guidance Software has enlisted distributor Wick Hill as it moves from a one- to two-tier channel model in the UK.

Working alongside Computerlinks, which Guidance recently signed as a global distributor, Wick Hill will take charge of Guidance's UK resellers and scout for more partners for the US-based vendor.

Wick Hill chairman Ian Kilpatrick said end users hit by cyberattacks take on average nearly a year to respond because the number of "triggers" they have deployed on their perimeter compromise their visibility of the network.

"Something like Guidance enables you to identify and respond to the threats as they occur," he explained.

"The time has come for Guidance's technology, and it has a channel model. It's a real growth area and Guidance is a major player in that market."

Sam Maccherola, vice president of EMEA and APAC sales for Guidance, suggested resellers already working with Guidance technology partners such as FireEye and ArcSight would be a natural fit.

Wick Hill is more targeted at Guidance's core market than Computerlinks and has a "much more robust and creative approach to the market", Maccherola added.

"There are a lot of distributors in the market but a couple of things drew us to Wick Hill: integrity comes out of its water fountain," he said.

Kilpatrick said Guidance – which claims its products are used by 65 per cent of Fortune 100 companies – would also make resellers stickier with customers.

"It sits above everything so it binds the customer to you," he said. "Everything they put in they'll be asking you how it integrates into the EnCase cybersecurity environment."