Kerio sets sights on Microsoft, Google

Global solutions provider Kerio is aiming to take on Microsoft and Google in Australia, revealing an aggressive channel strategy for its new server product on the first anniversary of its Sydney office opening.

Having brought on around 120 new partners, including the likes of Computers Now, XciteLogic, Betta Computers and Crunch IT since its local debut, Kerio is touting a “100% channel” strategy as it launches its Exchange and Google Apps competitor Kerio Connect 7.3.

The service is an upgrade to the company’s launch product Kerio Connect, and runs as an email, contacts and calender server. Kerio is relying solely on its Australian channel for the product’s success.

“Our job is to essentially provide support to our channel,” Abi Vickram, Kerio's senior channel manager and head of Sydney office, told CRN. “If a customer does call through, we help with technical support, but at the end of the day they do go back to the partner. Our belief is when our partners win, we win.”

The company said it would focus on partner recruitment throughout 2012 and was hoping to add between 220 to 250 new resellers to the current tally of around 300 by the end of next year. Vickram said the opening of the Sydney office and the manpower it brought with it, alongside Kerio’s annual partner forum, meant the company was in a good position to establish new partnerships.

One of Kerio's more important partnerships at the moment is not with a reseller, but with Microsoft.

Kerio has been working with the company since the early 2000’s and was recently awarded Gold partner status. The partnership involves Kerio developing its products to provide support for all current Microsoft operating systems, browsers and email clients, meaning Kerio Connect is compatible with Microsoft Outlook and other services.

Vickram said despite naming Microsoft as one of two main rivals, the company’s partnership with the software giant does not affect Kerio’s ability to compete with it directly.

He told CRN Kerio was looking to take advantage of a gap it believed Microsoft had left in the market.

“Historically Microsoft has always had a presence in SMB, but its focus recently has been cloud-based,” he said. “What we’re seeing in the SMB space is more and more of our partners and customers stepping away from Microsoft because the products just aren’t suited. Our competitive advantage is our products are for SMBs.”

Vickram was similarly dismissive of Google’s Apps, calling it “free solutions for tiny businesses” and saying the service was not effective for companies greater than one or two employees.

Kerio Connect 7.3 adds to the company’s stable of four products, including Kerio Control, Kerio Operator and Kerio Workspace, and targets organisations with between 10 and 500 employees. Vickram said the bread and butter nature of Kerio’s channel strategy meant the company would never consider selling direct to customers.

The upgraded features of Kerio Connect 7.3 include iOS5 capability, Kerio Outlook Connector for 64-bit Microsoft Outlook, and simplified encrypted email. Pricing starts at $425 for a standard sever license for 5 users, $23 per additional license; and $510 for a server license with Sophos, and $27.60 per extra license.