Bitdefender establishes Australian presence by acquiring local partner SMS eTech

Cybersecurity vendor Bitdefender has acquired long-time Australian partner SMS eTech to establish its physical presence in the country.

This is the first time that the vendor will have a physical presence in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region since it entered the ANZ market in 2005.

Melbourne-based SMS eTech was Bitdefender’s exclusive country partner for the past four years. It is also a reseller for Australian software vendor 1080 Agile.

“Our commitment to a direct presence in this key market arrives at an exciting time of explosive growth for our company,” Bitdefender vice president for worldwide channels Joe Sykora said.

“Bitdefender Australia will play a key role as we continue to build our business and brand into the APAC region. Our channel partners have proven an essential ingredient in our success, and we look forward to working closely with them, locally, to serve and protect more businesses in the region.”

As part of the deal, SMS eTech staff already working with Bitdefender will comprise the Bitdefender Australia business, while the remaining employees will continue to operate independently on the reseller’s other business lines.

“The acquisition was the natural progression [for] our two companies,” Colin Westbury, SMS eTech managing director said.

“SMS eTech has always specialised in helping brands establish in the ANZ region. I look forward to watching Bitdefender accelerate its presence and market penetration in the region with their world leading security solutions.”