McAfee declares 2010 the year of the partner

McAfee has dubbed 2010 as "the year of the partner" in a bid to put the muscle behind the channel to support its push into the mid-market.

The security vendor has successful footholds in the enterprise and consumer space but is looking to increase the amount of business it gets through the channel and has set out a four point programme to encourage and attract more reseller activity.

"McAfee needs to do better itself operating and improving in the channel there has been too much oscillating between direct and indirect in the past," said David DeWalt, CEO of McAfee.

The four point programme that is underlining the channel push includes some activities which have already been completed: investments in technology, improving the channel leadership across Europe.

Plus additional training and education of partners and improving the support that partners can get access to with the opening of the Cork account team.

"We are creating an infrastructure that partners can lean on and the people have been upgraded in a lot of leadership positions with people there who really understand the partner community," said DeWalt.

In the UK McAfee has been undergoing a channel overhaul under the direction of channel boss Jill Henry who has instigated a review of both the distribution and reseller channels.

DeWalt said that security had risen up the priority list this year and his expectations were that even with the recovery it would remain a strong area of the market.