Seccom Global has partnered with start-up distributor InfraServe for the supply of its managed security services product to small and medium sized businesses (SMB) in the Asia Pacific.
The move signals a shift for the managed security service provider's (MSSP) go to market strategy, which up until now was direct to reseller or direct to high end customers. With this announcement most of Seccom's services will be delivered through to distribution.
Seccom Global's, chief information officer, Gavin Matthews told CRN that Seccom has handed over all opportunities "up to a level" to InfraServe. Matthews said Seccom will continue to deal directly with some specialised services in the government space and higher end businesses.
"Realistically there's no seat level, if we can put it through distribution 100 percent we will," said Matthews. "Basically we already have opportunities that our sales people are finding now and immediately being passed to distribution for fulfilment.
Matthews said the partnership gives Seccom a step into the small and medium space which it has previously struggled with.
"Seccom has always recognised the small and medium market here in Australia. It is one of the strongest in Asia and really for us Seccom's strength as a security player has always been in that medium to large market.
"The SMBs out there have stronger PCI compliance coming through that require these specialised security services, they don't just want to pass it to generalist they want someone to come in and do it.
"But we as an organisation we have really struggled," Matthews said.
The partnership also makes Seccom InfraServe's first managed services partner.
InfraServe managing director Roy Pater said InfraServce chose Seccom for its maturity and security expertise.
"Seccom gives us the security niche which is required in the cloud but at the same time it gives us a bespoke service," he said.
Channel lacks understanding
Matthews said in the last three years Seccom has tried to go to the channel for fulfilment of its managed security services but failed to find a suitable partner.
"We've done a little shopping around and gone to some of the distributors and talked to them. Some have been keen but unfortunately their infrastructure providers applying for managed services. The stakeholders just weren't there," he said.
Seccom Global recently unveiled Securescreen, the latest software-as-a-service suite to be developed by the provider. Securescreen uses technologies from Zscaler, IronPort, Checkpoint and Fortinet.
"The vendors that we choose today are vendor's that understand managed providers, they understand the MSSP space.
"[Other] vendors say they have managed services programs but their pricing and their delivering does not match what a managed services provider is looking for.
"And resellers say they have managed services models but they just don't understand. They don't understand that the times are changing from moving tin to products as a service," Matthews said.
"I have spoken to upwards of 500 resellers in the last four years and of those we've handpicked 14 that really understand and are prepared [for managed services].
"And this is where I really see distribution coming in and changing that because there's too bigger gap at the moment," he said.
Matthews said managed services aren't about making your money back in 30 days and a 36 month view point is required.
"I don't think there are a lot of resellers out there that are prepared to make that financial shift and that's really where, from our perspective, fantastic that a distributor has come in and recognised this.
"They've said we're going to stand in the middle, we're going to help these guys get a leg up. We're going to bridge that gap in their and instead of you guys taking all these services directly and taking this big chunk we're going to give it to you as you need it and you can start that progression.
"It's just been too bigger gap and the other distributors out there they propose it and yeah they do have some things coming along but demand is in the market right now."
Matthews said Roy [Pater] and the team at InfraServe "really understand". Infraserve is being based in 20 years experience," he said.
"There's a very strong understanding of what managed services is all about, what resellers are looking for and Roy [Pater] has been on both sides and understands what the end customers are also looking for. They have that unique knowledge of having worked and sold in the market.
-1.jpg&w=100&c=1&s=0)
.png&w=100&c=1&s=0)
