Trend Micro channel director talks new partner programme and key to competencies
James Munroe tells CRN why he thinks the vendor’s redesigned partner programme will see success
Trend Micro is homing in on technical competencies with its redesigned partner programme for European channel firms.
Announced October last year and launched in July, the cybersecurity vendor redesigned its global partner programme to close the growing security demand gap with services like MSSP, MSP and SOC-as-a-Service.
In an effort to help enable the channel to deliver more services around its Vision One cybersecurity platform, the redesign added new competencies, assessments and discounts for partners.
To find out more about the programme overhaul, Trend Micro channel director James Munroe (pictured) tells CRN the vendor sought out European partner feedback.
"We're not the type of vendor that just rolls something out.
"Let's be honest, when a lot of partners hear about a new partner program, they groan because they think it's going to be really cumbersome with lots of accreditations.
"But I actually think this is a game changer. Partners can effectively double their margin that they make with Trend, and that is a fact," Munroe states.
Trend has "doubled the number of ways people can now earn" with the programme changes, rewarding channel businesses who become technically competent.
"We're working closely with partners who are committed, making sure we are working with them from a technical competency perspective, so that they can be a true extension, and we can be a true extension of their technical bench and their sales bench.
"But also reward partners for their capabilities that they're known for. So we want to work with the partners around their agenda, not necessarily our agenda.
"So working with partners on their technical competency is priority number one.
"I've said ‘technical competencies' many times, but when a partner becomes competent in one of the Trend technical areas, there is a back end rebate associated with that as well."
Partners want risk management
Munroe reveals Trend's platform play is an "absolutely key" area that is proving to be a boon for the vendor.
"We have a technology called Trend Vision One that offers different cybersecurity solutions.
"Attack surface risk management is very popular and on a lot of people's minds right now, and we're seeing a lot of partners looking at that and how they can actually offer that as a service to the end users.
"Also with threat intelligence now, and detecting, qualifying and mitigating risk is a real driver, and I think this is one of the reasons we're doing very well at the moment."
UK growth strategy
Trend is currently spending a lot of energy investing in staff.
It now has an almost equal number of people in its tech bench as its sales bench.
"But I think number one, an area of growth we see is with partners. We can't continue to grow at the rate we have without that reach," says Munroe.
"And now with this partner programme, for me as a channel director that is one of my areas of growth strategy."
He adds the vendor has invested heavily in digital transformation. But the question now is, how can it get on that partner transformation journey?
"For me as channel director, it's about working with partners in a very collaborative way, making sure that we are upskilling people and really making that bite is relevant, rather than just taking an accreditation for the sake of it. What's going to actually help a SOC analyst, or a technical engineer, to take that out?"
Munroe then touches on a little known topic he feels he "obviously has to mention" - generative AI.
"How can we use genAI to look at our data, our end users, look at that threat intelligence, and how can we pair partners with end users looking at those algorithms and leveraging AI to better understand their customers and their go-to-market strategy."
Growing its partner roster?
Trend transacts with hundreds of partners in the UK, and works closely with a select number of partners.
Some of its UK partners include Bytes, Softcat, Saepio and Creative ITC.
Munroe tells CRN the vendor continues to look for more channel firms to work alongside.
"We're certainly looking to expand competencies and work with the right partners to make sure that we're more technically able to actually take the services.
"Having said that, it is a partner ecosystem, and I'm a firm believer that most vendors need a whole different range of partners and work within a very transparent and honest way.
"And I think with the new park programme, the biggest piece of feedback we have is all about transparency. What can they make from day one? And if they put effort in, they can put people through the accreditations, the technical competencies, what will they get back in hard margin and cash?"
Having only launched in July, Munroe says Trend won't be making anymore programme changes for the rest of 2024.
"We're just about to launch a partner advisory board. And with our partner programme launch, it is now a European tier. So if you're an elite partner in the UK it would mean you're an elite partner for the rest of Europe.
"What we've found is, partners, especially those born in the cloud, are doing business across borders.
"This was a huge transformation for Trend this year. We will definitely leave it as is for the rest of this year. And then how can we evolve that, make small tweaks and listen to feedback."