Viadex teams up with Performanta for cybersecurity venture

Viadex opts to partner with Performanta, rather than acquire a security reseller

Surrey-based infrastructure reseller Viadex has joined forces with cybersecurity player Performanta to provide "holistic" cybersecurity solutions to customers.

Brian Dunleavy, vendor alliances director at Viadex, told CRN that the company was facing the challenge of either building solutions organically or looking to make an acquisition in order to address its customers' security needs. In the end, it decided to partner with Buckinghamshire-based Performanta.

The venture - Viadex Security Powered by Performanta - is listed as a separate entity with Companies House and has the expertise and resources of the two companies combined, according to Dunleavy. He said it was made a separate entity in order to deal directly with customers.

Dunleavy explained that Viadex's desire to provide "holistic" solutions was part of the reason it decided not to partner with a cybersecurity vendor.

"I run both alliances and marketing and there are a plethora of vendors out there that can deliver a specific type of security component, but we wanted the ability to provide an agnostic view and cater for the future challenges that are coming," he said.

"We could have brought on tech vendors but a single vendor approach doesn't necessarily solve all the challenges a customer has."

Dunleavy added that the partnership offers customers the "best of both worlds".

"Because there is no conflict, it's easy for us to have a conversation with a customer and bring in the Performanta offering to them, then extend the experience of what Viadex is able to deliver," he said.