N2H2 Builds On Channel Strategy

N2H2

The company, based here, plans to roll out a three-tiered channel program that includes a certification program, training, dedicated account managers and rebates, company executives said. Future plans call for incentive and qualified leads programs.

N2H2 decided last June to switch from a direct sales model to a channel model, said Cher Paige, vice president of marketing at the company. The vendor began recruiting solution providers last fall. It now counts 72 VARs in the United States and Canada and pushes 100 percent of its new business through the channel, she said.

"We think it's a better business model for us," she said.

VARs provide customers with local support and also provide better reach into the enterprise, said John Toman, senior product manager at N2H2.

The company has many clients in the education sector but wants to expand more into the enterprise market, executives said. To that end, N2H2 switched last year from selling managed filtering appliances to software-only solutions sold through solution providers.

N2H2 also teamed with vendors such as Check Point Software Technologies and, more recently, Cisco Systems to integrate its filtering software with their firewall products.

The company also introduced a new brand, Sentian, specifically for the enterprise market, Paige said.