Vendor appoints new head of channel operations and reveals plans to recruit more resellers
Security appliance vendor Fortinet has enhanced its channel support capabilities to boost channel sales and increase reseller ranks.
Peter Smith has joined from rival SonicWall to lead the channel operation. Smith. along with five other employees, will provide resellers with technical support and expertise on various vertical markets.
Fortinet also launched the It’s a Nok-Out campaign at the beginning of the year, offering cash incentives for resellers through distribution partners Fresh Egg and NOXS (CRN, 27 January).
Peter Smith, channel manager of Fortinet UK, told CRN: “Over the next 12 months we want 50 new resellers similar to our current VARs, and we are also after our competitors’ resellers.”
Smith, who was channel manager at SonicWall, said he had moved to Fortinet to be part of the vendor’s planned expansion in the channel. Smith replaces Marc de Jong Luneau as EMEA marketing director, and Arie de Groot as EMEA operations director. Both joined Fortinet last year (CRN, 28 November).
Jonathan Mepsted, regional director of Fortinet UK, said: “We have about 150 UK resellers, but not all of these are active. We want to rejuvenate these VARs and get new resellers onboard.
“Peter has come onboard to swell the reseller base. We have never been so pro-active in the UK. For the UK market we need to keep up momentum and give the resources to the channel.”
Mepsted added that Fortinet plans to focus on the mid-range and higher-end of the market, to take the fight to rivals such as Nokia and Juniper.
Unified Threat Management (UTM) has been key to Fortinet’s recent business according to Mep-sted, and UTM will continue to make waves in the channel.
“The voice, networking and server VARs are seeing UTM as a vehicle to sell security. Our margins in the channel are rich. Our resellers are being given the opportunity to become part of a growing trend, because UTM will not be going anywhere,” Mepsted claimed.
Helen Cross, marketing manager of Fortinet reseller Vistorm, said: “We do not see Fortinet’s reseller recruitment as a threat. We are familiar with working with a vendor with a number of partners.”
Security appliance vendor Fortinet has enhanced its channel support capabilities to boost channel sales and increase reseller ranks.
Peter Smith has joined from rival SonicWall to lead the channel operation. Smith. along with five other employees, will provide resellers with technical support and expertise on various vertical markets.
Fortinet also launched the It’s a Nok-Out campaign at the beginning of the year, offering cash incentives for resellers through distribution partners Fresh Egg and NOXS (CRN, 27 January).
Peter Smith, channel manager of Fortinet UK, told CRN: “Over the next 12 months we want 50 new resellers similar to our current VARs, and we are also after our competitors’ resellers.”
Smith, who was channel manager at SonicWall, said he had moved to Fortinet to be part of the vendor’s planned expansion in the channel. Smith replaces Marc de Jong Luneau as EMEA marketing director, and Arie de Groot as EMEA operations director. Both joined Fortinet last year (CRN, 28 November).
Jonathan Mepsted, regional director of Fortinet UK, said: “We have about 150 UK resellers, but not all of these are active. We want to rejuvenate these VARs and get new resellers onboard.
“Peter has come onboard to swell the reseller base. We have never been so pro-active in the UK. For the UK market we need to keep up momentum and give the resources to the channel.”
Mepsted added that Fortinet plans to focus on the mid-range and higher-end of the market, to take the fight to rivals such as Nokia and Juniper.
Unified Threat Management (UTM) has been key to Fortinet’s recent business according to Mep-sted, and UTM will continue to make waves in the channel.
“The voice, networking and server VARs are seeing UTM as a vehicle to sell security. Our margins in the channel are rich. Our resellers are being given the opportunity to become part of a growing trend, because UTM will not be going anywhere,” Mepsted claimed.
Helen Cross, marketing manager of Fortinet reseller Vistorm, said: “We do not see Fortinet’s reseller recruitment as a threat. We are familiar with working with a vendor with a number of partners.”
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