Centrify ploughs VC lolly into EMEA channel building

Identity access management vendor doubles local headcount to 28

Identity and access management vendor Centrify is bullishly expanding in EMEA following a $42m (£25m) venture-capital cash injection last month.

Over the past six months, the California-based vendor has doubled its EMEA headcount to 28 staff, in the process amassing 46 new partners, including Nebulas, Quru, Somerford Associates, SecurityMatterz and AT Computers in the UK.

A dedicated sales team for its identity-as-a-service (IDaaS) unit has also been added, alongside a new regional sales manager in the shape of Kamel Heus.

Talking to CRN, EMEA director Darren Gross said some of the new funding – which included participation from Samsung Ventures and Fortinet – is being ploughed into bolstering headcount in the region and offering partners free training and new incentives.

This includes a new deal registration incentive offering Amazon vouchers for individual partner sales staff.

Some of the proceeds will also be used to fund partner marketing campaigns designed to put clear water between Centrify and its rivals.

"We play in a space where there's lots of competition but when you look at our messaging, it's about providing unified identity services across the datacentre, cloud and mobile," said Gross. "There's no other vendor out there with a single unified message.

"We're also offering sales and technical training but where we're different to most vendors is we do it free of charge, as we recognise there is a cost to partners for taking their guys off the road for three or four days."

Centrify, which touched down in EMEA at the start of 2012, claims to work with four of the world's top financial institutions, three of which are based in the UK; and seven of the top 12 telecoms firms.

Nick Garlick, managing director of Nebulas, said: "Centrify's approach to unified identity and the ability to provide streamlined security across platforms both in the cloud and on-premise fits perfectly with our existing security portfolio."