SurfControl in partner program revamp

Security outfit SurfControl has overhauled its channel partner program and a portal that lets resellers certify themselves online and register potential deals.

Company CEO Pat Sueltz – who joined the company in July 2005 from Salesforce.com – admitted that SurfControl wasn’t giving resellers the support that they needed.

Partner focus groups worldwide felt that SurfControl was somewhat “confused” about it’s channel strategy and direction, Sueltz said.

The company attempted to alleviate this confusion at its first Asia-Pacific partner conference held in Sydney which attracted around 50 partners from across the region.

Under the new program, launched at the event, SurfControl introduced three tiers Premier, Advantage and Partner.

Premier partners are required to turnover at least $100,000 in SurfControl sales annually and have staff certified in sales and technical aspects of the company’s products, according to David Harris, vice president of worldwide channel at SurfControl.

Advantage partners need to turnover about $50,000 in sales annually while “Partners” have more of a “casual interest” in selling the vendor’s products, he said.

Using the new Partner Portal, resellers can complete training and certification at their own pace. It also lets partners register opportunities using a deal registration system and make use of various marketing resources.

The company also rolled out 24x7 free support for resellers from call centres in Australia, the UK and California.