Trend Micro primed for SMB channel assault

Vendor takes on dedicated headcount for SMB partners

Trend Micro has increased the size of its UK team so that SMB partners have dedicated resource to help them close deals.

The security vendor has taken on two internal channel account managers tasked specifically with helping partners develop and close business among firms with up to 100 staff.

James Munroe, channel sales manager UK & Ireland at Trend Micro, said the move would ensure SMB partners are not overlooked following a big push to build demand around some of the vendor's newer enterprise products in recent years.

"In the UK, we have great coverage in the enterprise space and midmarket among firms with 500 to 5,000 heads," he said.

"This is the last piece of the jigsaw to ensure SMB partners are not forgotten about and have that go-to resource."

According to data from Canalys, Trend Micro was the UK's fourth largest content security vendor in the 5-249 space in 2011 behind only Symantec, McAfee and Google, holding 8.1 per cent market share.

"SMB is an important core business for us," Munroe added as he confirmed earlier rumours that Trend has also thrown its weight behind only one SMB-focused distributor in the form of Blue Solutions.

However, Trend will not take its eye of the ball in enterprise, Munroe said, adding that consistency is the watchword for the vendor this year following a period of change that saw its UK business restructured at both the start of 2012 and start of 2013.

"In the past, we have made big changes but this year there have been no changes. Simon Young is still the vice president for UK & Ireland and the message from us is very much consistency and predictability," he said.

Trend's swish new Paddington HQ - noteworthy for being in the same bulding as rival Kaspersky's new digs - is designed to make the UK Trend's "flagship" business in Europe, Munroe said.

"If partners bring us business we have a lot of resource to help them close business," he added.