Nothing But Crickets

STEVEN BURKE

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Can be reached at (781) 839-1221 or via e-mail at [email protected].

The deafening silence from most of the vendors shows just what an afterthought the channel is as they aggressively move forward with these services. There is no way to position this other than as a blatant end run around the channel. It’s absolutely humorous to see the Ralph Kramden-like “humina humina humina” response to the question, “What is the channel strategy here?”

The big security guns are all positioning these subscription-fee offerings as retail products for desktop PCs. That’s just another way of saying to the channel: “We’re interested in cutting you out of the picture and can go it alone without solution experts.” In an age of heightened security threats and a dizzying array of incompatibilities, that is absolute madness. And don’t tell me that Best Buy’s Geek Squad or CompUSA’s clerks are security experts. What a laugh. What is going to be a full-time sport is watching just how many of these service offerings burn customers as well as protect them. Point of note: My wife recently clicked on a Microsoft security update that completely wiped out our desktop. One more reason why we have decided to trust our home systems to a solution provider.

Small businesses know these vendors have little or no vested interest in their day-to-day business welfare. That’s why these vendors would be wise to bring solution providers into the equation. Those that do will find their services will improve as a result of VAR feedback. Frankly, I would have thought at least one of these so-called channel-savvy vendors would have a partner strategy in place. As it stands now, when it comes to VARs participating in the security-as-service offerings from the major vendors, the only thing you can hear in the channel forest is the sound of crickets.

What’s your take on security vendors leaving out the channel? Let me know at (781) 839-1221 or via e-mail at [email protected].

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