An Emphasis On Partnerships: GFI Adds Training, Partner Relationship Management Portal To Give VARs A Leg Up

portal

GFI's network and messaging security products, including the MailEssentials antispam software and MailSecurity antivirus software, are targeted at small-business customers. The company is looking to transition all of its sales to the channel by early 2007, said Jim Semersky, director of channel sales.

"We have taken the initiative to really provide SMB partners and treat them like they were enterprise partners," Semersky said.

The technical training modules cover the technical aspects of each product as well as how to install and configure the software. Sales training modules combine interactive tutorials with real-world sales situations and a guide to how to ask the right questions and find out the business needs of a potential customer.

Over the summer, GFI, Raleigh, N.C., created its channel program with three tiers: Bronze, Silver and Gold. All partners will have access to the training modules, but the sales portal, with CRM/PRM tools purchased from Salesforce.com, is offered only to Gold and Silver partners. It will be made available to high-performing VARs in January, and reseller partners are currently using the beta version of the portal.

id
unit-1659132512259
type
Sponsored post

"We're actually one of the first software providers to do this. We're providing this tool to our partners to help them manage their leads, register their leads and understand the return on investment from a partner perspective," Semersky said.

From the resellers' angle, so far so good.

"Because it's very new, we're still working with them. They're looking at the reseller program and tweaking it so that it's best for the resellers. We have a lot of input for that," said Chuck Carlos, CEO of Caspian Technologies, a GFI partner based in Columbus, Ohio.

"I think it's a great program from a business perspective. GFI is a well-known, well-regarded security software provider. Now with the reseller program, we're able to become a partner of GFI and be able to provide better services to our clients," Carlos said.

"The biggest benefit for a business is that we're now really a partner, and working together as a partnership and not just reselling software," he added. "We have input to what they're doing. We have leads coming from their channel."