Sophos in MSP push

Security vendor has launched a new partner programme aimed at MSPs

Sophos has talked up the launch of its managed services partner (MSP) programme, which coincides with its new Sophos-Central management platform.

The security vendor's programme, which launched 1 April, is designed to simplify the complexities of managing multiple security solutions across multiple customers.

It is split into two sections: MSP Connect is designed to allow partners to manage all Sophos solutions for every customer through a central management platform.

This can distribute licences, add new customers and allow partners to consolidate all their customers' bills.

MSP Flex has the same qualities but is designed for partners wishing to have consolidated bills monthly rather than annually.

Johnathan Bartholomew, UK channel director for Sophos, explained: "We make it really easy for companies to combine their billing. Instead of having separate bills for their security and various software, they can offer one bill to their customers, collated from all the vendors they work with."

Both programmes use the new management platform Sophos-Central. It is designed for MSPs to integrate with and customise remote monitoring and management software from vendors to deploy and update Sophos agents locally.

James Vyvyan, regional vice president at Sophos (pictured), said: "I think the key thing with the dashboard is that it is more secure, with all solutions on one manageable platform.

"Most of our MSP partners are servicing small businesses, and are relatively small themselves. The two things that kill them are having multiple technologies they have to put together, and having to support those multiple technologies for the customers. What putting everything together does is make it all easier and less time consuming, so they are able to manage more customers."

Bartholomew claimed arch rivals McAfee and Symantec had struggled to integrate technologies they have acquired under one management platform.

"We have developed our solutions from the ground up, so everything we acquire is integrated into the cloud dashboard," he added.

Sophos' reseller partner programme has been virtually unchanged for seven years, and the new programme is designed to complement this.

About 200 MSPs have signed up to the MSP programme already, and Bartholomew said the ideal partner would be an MSP with an existing customer base who wants to move the base over to Sophos products.

"The great thing with this platform is you can have as many partners as you want and it doesn't devalue the product. It just allows partners to sell to their own customer bases," he added.

Steve Cox, CTO at Sophos partner TSG, said: "We have been a partner with Sophos for 12 years now and an MSP programme is something we have been waiting a long time for them to deliver. We are really excited about it. We think it is going to be a huge benefit for the partner channel, and are really looking forward to rolling it out to our customers."