Arcserve: CA split is perfect storm for our channel

Newly independent data-protection vendor lays out bullish channel plans

Arcserve has said its channel partners are set to reap the benefits of its newly independent status following this week's news that former parent company CA has spun it off.

The data-protection business, which used to sit within CA, was bought out by investor Marlin Equity Partners earlier this week following months of work readying the unit to go it alone.

Arcserve had operated separately within CA for a long time and chief executive Mike Gregoire spearheaded plans to spin it off when he joined a few years ago, after deciding it was not core to CA.

When it was part of CA, Arcserve had about 7,000 active global partners as well as another 20,000 that did sporadic business with it. Following the split, all these partners will continue to work with Arcserve as usual and can continue to transact other CA products should they wish to.

Arcserve operated a 100 per cent channel model while it was still a part of CA but said going it alone will allow it more freedom.

"The exciting thing for us is that as a 100 per cent-channel-dedicated organisation, the move to be an independent company allows us to set up the way we do business through the channel purely for that go-to-market model," said Arcserve's head of global sales Chris Ross.

"Up until now, we have been using CA infrastructure. To some extent we were trying to force our partner programme to work with CA programmes which just weren't designed for the high number of partners and transactions we do."

He added that doing business with Arcserve will be easier now it is alone, but insisted that his firm and CA will remain great friends and there will be no reason for partners to choose sides.

Over the last few months prior to the spin-off, Arcserve underwent a brand overhaul which it hopes will help it stand on its own two feet without CA's backing.

"The CA umbrella is clearly a benefit in some situations but it is not a focused data-protection brand – there is equal advantage building the Arcserve brand," added Ross. "Arcserve is a trusted name in the industry.

"We really feel at the moment that we have a perfect storm brewing with... the new technology we have brought to market and now this new independent company. You will see us drive significant increases in awareness and we think we will definitely give our competition a run for their money."