Vendor sees merging of rivals SurfControl and Websense as an opportunity to profit

Marshal hopes to cash in on any channel fallout from the merger of rivals Websense and SurfControl after refreshing its web and email security portfolio.

Having unveiled its first email security appliance earlier this month, the vendor this week launches its next-generation Web Marshal web-defence product.

To coincide with the refresh, Marshal has updated its Star Rewards scheme so resellers can earn points for completing web training around the two products.

The programme, which launched in April, had previously only awarded points for licences sold.

Michael Clifford, vice president of sales for EMEA at Marshal, which has 100 UK resellers, said: “Particularly in the UK, where Websense and SurfControl were prominent players and had enormous crossover, the bottom line is that not all their resellers can survive.

“I believe we will see resellers moving to Marshal, if only because it will be a crowded market and margins will be low. Marshal partners see 20 per cent plus retained margins.”

The Star Rewards programme enables channel sales staff to redeem points for a range of prizes, with one reseller netting a holiday in the Maldives. Clifford claimed its introduction increased sales by 138 per cent in the third quarter.

However, Websense partners appeared unmoved by Marshal’s charm offensive.

James McKee, security manager at VAR Qual, said: “A lot of vendors are claiming there is disarray in the Websense channel and everyone is jumping ship. But as a Websense partner, I’m not seeing that at all.”