Secureworks adds to the partner-first movement

The mantra for tough economic time is to “get close to the customer” to make sure the relationship remains resilient, but the same is clearly true of the ties between vendors and the channel.

The phrase “partner first” is echoing across the industry as vendors look to ramp up their commitment to the channel.

Last month, Dell went all in with partners on storage, and Secureworks is following that example with its Taegis cyber security product range across the UK and Ireland and Europe.

The latest move marks a further milestone for the firm, which has been on a journey of transition, initially moving nine years ago from being a managed security service provider (MSSP) to become an extended detection and response (XDR) specialist with its own threat intelligence resources that can update its defences in real time.

The plan is to work with strategic MSSPs and solution providers to sell the products that help users protect data.

“Across Europe, we see organisations of all sizes and industries facing cyber security challenges on multiple fronts. They are striving to understand their risk and how to mitigate it. Taegis can enable them to move swiftly and safely as they continue to deliver goods and services to their customers,” said Simon Godfrey, regional director at Secureworks.

“Taegis eliminates the silos associated with point solutions and creates one consolidated view that offers customers the best defence against a shifting threat landscape,” he added.

The emphasis is on “strategic” partners getting the chance to work with the vendor, giving those selected the chance to take advantage of the opportunity that should open up as a result of the partner-first strategy. There should also be increased support through access to competitive discounts, sales playbooks, a partner portal, training and Secureworks market intelligence.

The vendor has pitched the partner-first strategy as a visible commitment to its channel partners and is part of wider international plans to increase the volume of indirect deals it secures with customers.

The response from some of those involved with the vendor has been positive, as it ultimately provides an opportunity to increase customer data protection.

“End user organisations are facing a litany of cyber challenges and an ever more complex threat landscape. Buying more point solutions is not the answer to this conundrum, as it only creates more complexity and silos,” said Andrew Pitt, sales director at Saepio Information Security.

“How Secureworks has engineered their partner-led go to market enables our security architects to design best-fit solutions for customers. With Taegis in the portfolio, we’re able to help businesses maximise existing investments and obtain the holistic view they need to manage cyber risk aligned to their business priorities,” he added.