Symantec's Reach

The security vendor, which has been a perennial big winner in the CRN Channel Champions security category, posted record quarterly results last week. What's more, Symantec Chairman and CEO John Thompson predicted that the company, which took 19 years to crack the billion-dollar revenue mark, will reach its next billion in just three years. Symantec said it expects revenue to hit the $2.18 billion mark by March 2005. Thompson credits, in large part, the company's relationships with channel partners.

There are many things that Symantec has that other companies lack, including a channel-savvy CEO, top-flight channel management led by channel chief Allyson Seelinger (who ranked No. 3 on CRN's 2003 Channel Chiefs list), and strong channel programs. But one of the secrets to Symantec's channel success is clearly a commitment to a broad, expansive partner network. At a time when many vendors have narrowed their definition of the channel to several hundred partners,thereby limiting their sales-growth prospects,Symantec has charged ahead, recruiting partners and driving an end-to-end security products and services lineup that reaches from small businesses all the way up the food chain to large enterprises.

Symantec's strong showing is just one more sign that channel-savvy vendors that reach out aggressively to thousands and thousands of partners will be rewarded. CEOs who do not realize there is strength in channel numbers are only fooling themselves. When a CEO calls for quality rather than quantity in the partner ranks, it is usually sign of a company that is flailing and is concentrating more on cutting costs than increasing revenue.

Paul Rohmeyer, partner and COO of Icons, said the North Brunswick, N.J.-based information security services firm has maintained its commitment to Symantec while it has let other partnerships fall by the wayside. "[Symantec is] extremely channel-friendly and channel-aware," he says. "They understand the importance of working with firms like Icons."

Congratulations, Symantec, on a bang-up quarter and a top-flight channel program. Here's to that next billion.

What do you think about Symantec? Let me know at (781) 839-1221 or via e-mail at [email protected].