CyberArk: We need to become easier to do business with
EMEA channel director revealed channel plans to CRN at vendor's event
Privileged account security vendor CyberArk says it needs to "do a better job" at being easy for partners to do business with.
Speaking to CRN at the vendor's Impact 2016 event in Barcelona, Tim Goodwin, EMEA channel director at CyberArk, said this is the focus of his channel plans for the immediate future.
"We need to do a better job at becoming easier to do business with. There is nothing more frustrating as a partner than getting wrapped up in the processes of a vendor. Within the two and a half years I have been here we have built out an infrastructure to support the partners," he said.
"We increased dramatically the resources we have in place in terms of people. We also added the traditional things that as a channel business you need, and which we didn't have."
The resources added to the partner programme in the last two and a half years include a partner portal, online sales training, technical training and certifications.
"[The partner portal] is continually evolving. We are continuing to invest in it. When we first put it in place it was to let partners have access to our knowledge. From there it has grown to include the CyberArk University and deal registration processes. So we are continuing to look for ways to make it easier to work with us," Goodwin added.
The vendor acquired privileged account vendor Cybertinet in August 2015 and Viewfinity for $30.5m (£23.6m) in October 2015. CyberArk reported a $161m revenue for 2015, showing a 56 per cent growth year on year.
CyberArk's CEO Udi Mokady said in his keynote speech at the event that the vendor's vision is to "think that the attacker is already on the inside, and provide security to combat that."
The Israel-based vendor has 120 to 150 partners in Europe, with 12 to 15 partners in the UK. Ninety-eight per cent of sales in the UK are through the channel, with the remaining two per cent being legacy direct deals, said Goodwin.
"We are actively moving legacy direct customers to the channel," he explained. "When you are a small company and a very large enterprise comes to you and says 'we go direct or I'm not buying', that is how the odd direct deal starts to creep in.
When you get to the size and growth aspirations that we have now, then we need to scale. We are subject matter experts but we are only part of the solution. It is the partner who can put it all together."
Goodwin said his other plan for the vendor's channel is to enable partners to deliver more support to customers rather than relying on CyberArk.
"We are working hard to enable our partners. We are working on programmes and ways that we can transfer our subject matter expertise to those partners to enable them to do more for their customers," he said.
"While we are happy to help them, there is not enough of us. So if we can transfer that expertise to them, and help them, then they can get more opportunities. But we are always here to support them."
Lior Arbel, CTO of CyberArk partner Performanta, said CyberArk was "like a family".
"They are making some changes to the channel to make it more approachable and have created a new programme for training, which is available online," he said. "They've also increased their portfolio. They are a great organisation to work with."