https://www.computerweekly.com/microscope/news/366624694/Channel-catch-up-News-in-brief
Before we all head off to enjoy the bank holiday weekend, there is an opportunity to share some of the latest distribution and vendor partnerships, along with Pulsant’s efforts to attract managed service providers (MSPs) into the fold.
Risk management player Kiteworks has chosen Kite Distribution as its channel partner to increase its market reach across the UK and Ireland.
Kiteworks is known for its Private Data Network offering, which enables public and private sector organisations to send, share, receive and use sensitive data, with security and compliance controls.
“This strategic partnership with Kite Distribution represents an important milestone in our mission to help UK organisations secure their most sensitive data exchanges,” said David Byrnes, vice-president of global channels at Kiteworks.
In response, Kip Tumber, director at Kite Distribution, said the channel player was committed to putting more options in front of partners.
“At Kite Distribution, we’re dedicated to bringing innovative cyber security solutions to our partners that address real-world challenges,” he said.
CrowdStrike has expanded its European distribution network with the appointment of Ignition Technology, giving the distie the rights to offer the vendor’s Falcon cyber security platform across Benelux, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.
The expansion builds on the existing relationship that covers the UK and Ireland and the Nordics, and indicates CrowdStrike wants to build on that success.
“Our partnership with Ignition continues to deliver what matters most: protecting customers and stopping breaches,” said Dan Danielli, vice-president of global distribution at CrowdStrike. “By expanding our partnership in key European markets, we’re doubling down on our partner-first strategy, enabling more partners to drive consolidation, reduce risk and deliver real results with the power of the Falcon platform.”
Peter Ledger, CEO of Ignition Technology, said: “As demand grows, our partnership continues to expand – enabling partners to deliver outcome-driven security and real business value to organisations of all sizes.”
Exertis has bolstered its commitment to the gaming market with some fresh hires and an internal promotion as it continues to ramp up the channel player’s position in the consumer market.
The distributor has already welcomed Barry Sales to the Exertis consumer leadership team, joining as business development director, and from next week, former Game staffer Neil Cartwright is joining as business manager responsible for software and digital.
At the same time, the distributor’s existing Xbox and gaming general manager, Gemma Walters, has been promoted to a new head of gaming role. Another former Game staffer, Rachel Town, has joined the business to take over Walters’s previous position.
“Our goal is to drive meaningful growth across our gaming proposition by working closely with our customers and brand partners to deliver innovative, best-in-class solutions. I’m looking forward to building on our strong foundations and taking our gaming business to the next level,” said Walters.
The security distributor has inked a partnership with managed detection and response (MDR) player Smarttech247.
Smarttech247’s platform VisionX provides threat intelligence with MDR to provide actionable insights, 24/7 threat detection, investigation and response.
“The volume of data is increasing exponentially – it is estimated that 90% of the world’s data was generated in the last two years alone,” said Mukesh Gupta, CEO of e92plus. “Organisations need to protect and secure that data from a variety of threats and attacks, as the value of that data to criminals increases. Smarttech247’s platform provides an automated, proactive service that our partners can take to their customers that enhances their existing technology stack.”
Raluca Saceanu, CEO of Smarttech247, said the distributor would enable it to get its solution in front of more customers: “By combining Smarttech247’s AI-driven threat detection capabilities with e92plus’s extensive channel expertise, we are empowering organisations to build resilience and stay ahead of cyber threats. Together, we are committed to driving innovation and enhancing security outcomes for businesses of all sizes.”
The channel player has signed a sole distribution agreement covering the UK and Ireland with secure endpoint specialist IGEL.
The two firms have been working together since 2016, starting with activity through DataSolutions, the Dublin-based distributor acquired by Climb in 2023. Having demonstrated its ability to grow the market and develop reseller relationships, the distribution relationship has now been made a sole one across the UK and Ireland.
“We are very pleased to strengthen our partnership with IGEL, an organisation we have collaborated with for nearly a decade. We have proven the demand for IGEL’s solutions across the UK and Ireland for a number of years, and with this sole distribution agreement now in place, we will be able to build on the momentum we have created,” said Brian Davis, vice-president of sales UK and Ireland at Climb.
“Our relationship with DataSolutions, and now Climb, has consistently enabled IGEL to grow across the UK and Ireland, and that is why we have made the decision to engage on a sole basis,” said Justin Thorogood, director of channel sales at IGEL.
The digital edge infrastructure specialist has cut the ribbon on its Partner Cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS) offering, which is being made available to its channel.
The firm views the move as a key plank in its channel recruitment strategy as it looks to bring on board more MSPs, making its platformEdge infrastructure available through Partner Cloud.
Wendy Shearer, director of partnerships and ecosystems for Pulsant, said: “Service providers have different requirements to end users. They need consistent, competitive pricing for commercial advantage. They need an incredibly rapid response from partners, and they need confidence when building their solutions. This is what we have created with Partner Cloud.”
In another example of a distie extending its vendor portfolio this week, Westcon-Comstor indicated it is going to start working with Ericsson.
The distribution agreement covers EMEA and will see Westcon enabling partners to take on the vendor’s Enterprise Wireless Solutions.
“This collaboration unlocks exciting new growth opportunities for partners and adds an extra dimension to our networking technology portfolio within the region. We look forward to deploying our value-added services to empower and enable partners, equipping them with additional capabilities as they bring the benefits of the Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions portfolio to their customers,” said Daniel Hurel, senior vice-president of Westcon EMEA go-to-market at Westcon-Comstor.
“With the increased speed and decreased latency of 5G, businesses are now looking at 5G as not only a viable alternative to wires, but also to innovate and transform their business,” said Julie Hens, senior vice-president of global distribution partners at Ericsson. “Westcon is an excellent business partner for our shared solution providers in supporting customers who are on this transformation path.”
23 May 2025