Staples deal will help Kaspersky make inroads into the retail space ahead of IPO

Kaspersky Lab is hoping to dent Symantec’s dominance of the consumer security software sector after signing a deal for a partnership with Staples.

Simon Geach, UK sales director at the anti-virus vendor, said the move would help its 400 VARs by raising Kaspersky’s profile.

“Our drive into retail [will] make it easier for resellers to sell our business solutions as it will make people more aware of the brand,” he said.

“While PC World drives the majority of the market, Staples is the other key destination store in the UK for PC software. To be in one and not the other was limiting our visibility.”

Geach admitted that Symantec has a dominant 80 per cent share of the UK security software market, which he said is worth between 110,000 and 250,000 units a month.

Since entering the sector last year, Kaspersky claims to have amassed a five per cent share, but Geach hopes to double that by the end of 2008.

The vendor, which is gearing up for its initial public offering, also has agreements in place with Amazon and independent retail-focused distributors Enta Technologies, Ingram Micro, Spire and Koch Media.

Ian Kilpatrick, chairman of Wick Hill, one of Kaspersky’s three UK value-add distributors, said the Staples agreement would make it easier for Kaspersky resellers to approach corporate accounts.

“At the smaller end, companies buy on the recommendation of resellers, so it’s not as relevant. But once you move into the corporate space, awareness becomes a key issue when you are playing against Sophos and McAfee. It’s a major advantage not to have to explain who you are.”