Channel catch-up: News in brief

The past working week saw distributors add to their vendor portfolios, partner programmes launched and some firms getting the chance to work even more closely with vendors.

Kite Distribution: The channel player has been appointed by security player Goldilock as its primary UK distributor. “Organisations are asking for cyber security tools that not only protect them, but hand back control,” said Stuart Nairne-Clark, director at Kite Distribution.

“Goldilock’s hardware-based isolation fills a clear gap in a complete security stack, and we’re proud to help bring it to market at scale.”

Steven Brodie, chief revenue officer at Goldilock, said Kite would be able to get its technology in front of more resellers and a greater umber of customers.

Exertis Enterprise: The channel player has signed security player BlackFog, offering its anti data exfiltration technology across the UK, Ireland and Europe. Dominic Ryles, sales and alliance director at Exertis Enterprise, said it was adding more options for resellers with the relationship: “Cyber security has shifted from a defensive necessity to a commercial differentiator,” he said. “Organisations can no longer rely on static protection; they need adaptive measures that evolve as fast as the threats do. Our partnership with BlackFog brings this capability to the forefront.”

In response, Darren Williams, founder and CEO at BlackFog, said the distributor would widen its market reach: “Together, we will provide organisations with unparalleled protection against unauthorised data exfiltration and evolving AI [artificial intelligence] cyber threats, ensuring customers have access to cutting-edge cyber security solutions backed by trusted local expertise.”

e92spark: The arm of e92plus that works with innovative security players has added Checkmarx to its vendor roster, offering agentic AI-powered application security testing across the UK and Ireland. “Our partnership with e92spark marks a significant step in our channel strategy,” said Chris Ledingham, director Northern Europe at Checkmarx. “The team at e92plus is renowned for building partner networks and working with the most cutting-edge companies, so we are delighted to work together. There are significant opportunities available for partners in adding AppSec tools to their portfolios as enterprises tackle the growing challenge of developing and deploying secure code efficiently in the AI-era.”

Darryl Whiteman, vendor alliances manager at e92spark, gave the distributor’s perspective. “We know that partners are looking for guidance on how to harness growth opportunities by adding new and disruptive technologies to their portfolios,” he said. “We can provide this ‘first-mover’ advantage through e92spark vendors.”

Akamai Technologies: The security and cloud player has announced Partner Connect, a unified global programme that replaces its previous partner structure with a single framework to cover all partner types. The firm is introducing enhanced incentives, region-specific tiering, and access to tools and support. The programme is the first time the vendor has looked to work with all partner types under a single programme.

“Partners have told us they want simpler engagement, clearer incentives and more flexibility at the local level,” said Paul Joseph, executive vice-president of global sales and services at Akamai. “Akamai Partner Connect delivers on that feedback. It addresses the needs of different partner types based on what’s best for their business, aligns rewards with strategic solutions, and gives regional teams more control to support partners where and how they operate.”

Inforcer: The Microsoft-focused multi-tenant management for MSPs has been selected by the vendor as a partner in enabling Intune for MSPs. The global initiative is designed to help MSPs consolidate tooling, reduce operational overhead, and accelerate the delivery of Microsoft 365 and Copilot services.

“We founded Inforcer to give MSPs the tools and support they need to grow their Microsoft practices, deliver more value to their customers, and lead the way into the next wave of managed services,” said Jamie Daum, CEO and co-founder of Inforcer.

“This initiative is a major step forward for MSPs who need to implement Microsoft 365 at scale for their customers. We are honoured to have been selected as a founding partner, as this recognises our technology leadership and deep alignment with Microsoft’s cloud-native and AI-first strategy.”

Asanti Data Centres: The firm has added sustainable reseller Sumillion to its network through Northamber. Sumillion will be able to extend its sustainability-first approach into regional edge datacentre infrastructure as a result of the relationship.

“We are delighted to see Sumillion join the Asanti partner ecosystem through our collaboration with Northamber,” said Stewart Laing, CEO of Asanti Data Centres. “As one of the UK’s most sustainable resellers, Sumillion shares our belief that technology must drive positive change for both business and the planet. Together, we can provide IT leaders with the confidence that their infrastructure decisions are not only high-performance and scalable, but also aligned with their ESG commitments.”

Asanti started working with Northamber earlier this year, to deliver scalable, sustainable datacentre solutions through the channel.

“At Northamber, we are committed to working with partners who combine innovation with responsibility,” said Grant Reddin, director of cyber and solutions at the firm. “Sumillion’s sustainability-first ethos is an ideal complement to Asanti’s efficient, regional-edge datacentres. This partnership allows us to empower resellers with a powerful combination: cutting-edge technology delivered in a way that is good for customers and good for the planet.”