It’s nice when a plan comes together.
That’s the sentiment one gets when speaking to security solutions and antivirus software provider VIPRE Security about the company’s partner recruitment strategy. As a key part of the strategy, VIPRE is unveiling its new partner portal today, which is designed with increased functionality to bolster partner growth, Chief Revenue Officer Jason Greenwood says.
“VIPRE’s always been a very partner-centric software application. It’s part of the key to our market strategy,” he tells ChannelE2E. “But we’ve made many advances over the last six to nine months to make it a better place for our partners to experience.”
Keeping It Simple
A lot of the revamp came from streamlining, according to Greenwood. Simplifying all aspects of their business is a way to better engage partners and keep them happy. Those include “a simplified product that’s still cutting edge, a simplified partner program that allows for some of the largest margins for partners in the industry.”
Moreover, the new portal brings with it a number of new capabilities that allows partners to view their business with VIPRE and increase their sales enablement. The new platform allows for co-branded marketing materials and additional sales resources and training. Features that Greenwood says partners have been requesting in recent months.
“I’ve never been a position where we could effectively offer co-branded marketing material,” he says. “In the course of my career that’s been something our partners have always wanted. The ability to put their brand alongside a trusted brand that they support and present it in a way to their clients that’s professional.”
It’s all part of a strategy to dominate the SMB space, according to Greenwood. He believes the key to success lies in enabling VIPRE’s partners and providing them with the best product and the best margins.
The strategy appears to be working for the company. Already in 2017 the company has signed up more partners than it did for all of 2016.
“Considering the thousands of partners we already have, when I saw that number I was surprised myself,” says Greenwood. “It’s exciting. I talk to these guys quite a bit and I love hearing their stories about how their business is different and how they’re supporting their customers. For us, it’s all about helping our partners and helping them grow their profits.”
The Background
VIPRE has been making key moves in the last few months. The company named Marya Munir as its senior director of channel marketing in April. Earlier, the company launched an MSP partner program to help partners sell VIPRE Advanced Security for Business endpoint security solutions.
The company’s roots go back to 2008 when it was launched by Sunbelt Software Inc. Sunbelt was acquired in 2010 by GFI Software Inc, which spun out its security business unit and created the independent ThreatTrack Security in 2013. The evolution of the company through these different iterations is thanks to its ability to change with the times, Greenwood asserts.
“VIPRE’s been around a long time,” he explains. “It’s one of those products that has spent a lot of effort to stay not only relevant but cutting edge when you’re facing today’s threats. The company itself has spent a lot of time and resources on developing technology that can monitor, detect, and prevent all these new advanced threats that are coming out. So even though it’s been around a long time, the technology that supports it is cutting edge.”
As the company continues to look at what’s on the horizon, the folks at VIPRE remain focused on their partners according to Greenwood.
“VIPRE is passionate about not only protecting end-users but in developing a partner program that can help our partners grow their business in a very cost-effective and professional way,” he says.
