Trustwave urges partners to become MSSPs

Trustwave launches online learning system to help partners transition to services

Trustwave has issued a call to channel partners to bring its managed security services to market.

Jim Ritchings, Trustwave's SVP of worldwide channel sales, said the security vendor is ramping up partner "recruitment, activation and enablement" to help drive growth for its managed security services.

Focus for recruitment, he said, will be geared towards "solution providers that have distinct security acumen and a services-orientation".

Ritchings believes existing security partners will lose business if they are slow to adjust to the growth of managed security services providers (MSSPs).

"If a partner does not intend to become an MSSP they will see more and more of their customers moving to a managed security model with other providers," he said.

Ritchings' comments come as the firm today unveiled a new online learning system and partner portal to encourage partners to offer more managed security to customers.

The self-service partner portal, Trustwave Partner Hub, will provide marketing materials, sales information, technical support and product documentation, as well as research, case studies and security reports from SpiderLabs, Trustwave's team of hackers, forensic investigators and security researchers.

Chicago-based Trustwave has around 500 active channel partners worldwide, with the channel responsible for between 25 and 80 percent of its sales, depending on the region.

Ritchings said the biggest challenge facing the channel today is partners' ability to help their customers cut through the complexity associated with the current security landscape.

"It's a noisy market with a dizzying array of products and services emerging seemingly daily. Not only is the threat landscape rapidly growing in terms of ferocity and complexity, regulations around data protection are getting much more stringent. Customers look to the channel for solutions and guidance. This is a huge opportunity for the channel partners who have the skills, knowledge, capabilities and solutions to help their customers," he said.