Dell's SonicWALL sale close to completion

Dell Security VP expects the deal to close around the end of October

The sale of Dell SonicWALL to Francisco Partners and Elliott Management could close as early as next month, according to Dell Security vice president Steve Pataky.

In June, Dell announced the sale of Dell Software Group, consisting of SonicWALL and Quest.

Speaking to CRN Pataky, vice president of worldwide security sales at Dell (pictured), said he expects the acquisition to be completed some time around the end of the fiscal quarter.

"We don't have an official date [but] we're moving very fast, trying to move everything ahead," he said.

"Everything that we hear is some time at the end of our fiscal quarter, which ends in October, or early next quarter, starting November, so everything that I've heard is moving us towards separation around those dates but we don't have a specific date yet."

The split from Dell was announced on the eve of Dell's security summit in Malta, with partners expressing optimism at SonicWALL's renewed energy in the channel.

Pataky stressed that there are plenty of positives to take away from the time spent with Dell, despite the "well-documented channel conflict". He said that elements of Dell's partner programme - particularly the way it ran financial incentives and some of the rebate structures - were well received by partners.

"We want to respect the past and part of our past is Dell," he said.

"There's no doubt that there was channel conflict, but from my perspective they seem to have managed it quite well.

"There were times when that was a challenge but ultimately when we separate we won't have to worry about that."

Durgan Cooper, director of information security at Dell and SonicWALL partner Cetsat, said the period of Dell ownership has given SonicWALL increased exposure.

"The Dell piece has been quite positive because it's brought SonicWALL into the mainstream," he said.

"It's a robust product, it competes very well with other vendors and it's certainly being talked about more.

"I attend meetings where we're competing against Cisco and other vendors where traditionally it would not have been, so its profile has come up which is really positive."

New partner programme

Last month SonicWALL launched its new ‘Secure First' partner programme in North America for the post-Dell era, with the programme set to be rolled out in the UK and EMEA later this year.

SonicWALL will also introduce the Authorised Support and Services programme, which Pataky said will give MSPs the chance to expand their SonicWALL services offering, and will also let SonicWALL recommend particular partners when approached by end users.

Pataky said that the new programme, and its new elements, are part of a revitalised channel approach that will see SonicWALL return to being purely channel focused.

"We absolutely will be [100 per cent through the channel]," he said.

"The reason we want to have our Secure First partner programme is to let them know this is how we want to do business, and this includes not just our traditional channel partners but our distributors."