Trend Micro UK channel boss: 'Symantec partners are joining us on a weekly basis'

James Munroe reveals to CRN how security vendor has been luring partners away from its competitor

Trend Micro has been adding Symantec partners to its channel on a "weekly basis", according to UK channel boss James Munroe.

Partner uncertainty around Broadcom's acquisition of the cybersecurity vendor last year has been a boon for Trend Micro, as they bring new business with them, he told CRN.

"The Broadcom acquisition of Symantec - and the uncertainty that happened there from both an end user and partner perspective - has generated a lot of business and interest because there's been so much uncertainty with that whole acquisition, where partners are not even able to get quotes or get in touch with people," he elaborated.

"If you speak to most [Symantec] partners, they will say the acquisition has gone badly and they've been looking for an alternative vendor that's not going to be snapped up and acquired in 12 months and swallowed into another organisation - and the distrust and uncertainty that brings."

Trend Micro has been actively recruiting partners away from its competitor, positioning itself as a viable alternative that is focused on helping partners and customers through the current pandemic, Munroe added.

"It is a large focus for us and we are increasingly transitioning end users and partners away from Symantec - its acquisition has brought us new partners and opportunities on a weekly basis," he said.

"From a commercial point of view and our go to market strategy with our channel ecosystem, we're becoming a very attractive proposition, so we are pushing very heavily that we have a fantastic technical and commercial alternative.

"We want to make sure that transition is as smooth as possible, because we're in very uncertain times and the last thing they want are levels of service and support dropping."

These uncertain times has led to digital transformation that Munroe had expected to take years now taking months, he said, adding that the cybersecurity vendor has had a "robust" financial 2020 so far as demand for hybrid cloud solutions continues to increase.

"COVID has been a very difficult time for us all, but we've actually done very well this this year and have been well placed," he explained.

"Hybrid cloud is so important and making sure your cloud infrastructure is configured and architected correctly. Endpoint over the last 12 months has become sexy again and there's a real opportunity there and where we're seeing a lot of growth and interest once again. That's really where I see the growth in the next 12 months."