Kaspersky Lab took top honors in the category of Client Security Software. The company earned its highest score in the category of Product Innovation (87.4) but lost the overall category to antimalware competitor Sophos (89.2). However, its scores in Support (77.5) and Partnership (82.0) brought it to the overall win.
Kaspersky executives say the high scores in Product Innovation can be attributed to a heavy focus on research and development. "Around the globe we have our security centers and research centers. All of that information funnels back into R&D," said Nancy Reynolds, Kaspersky's vice president of corporate sales.
In the Partnership category, Kaspersky saw high scores in the criteria of Revenue and Profit Potential and Ease of Doing Business.
"We're always improving, making it easy to do business with Kaspersky. Kaspersky is very easy for customers, from order entry, to presales, to post-sales support--a strength which is Americas-based support," Reynolds said. "From Toronto to Argentina, [customers] can get someone on the phone in their language. That's ease of doing business."
And the company's dedication to ease of doing business hasn't gone unnoticed by channel partners.
"If we get into a situation, and maybe can't answer a technical question, it's very easy for us to get their technical support online quickly and efficiently. It's not just a voice mail," said Kimberly Howe, vice president of operations and business development for Intelek Technologies, a Norman, Okla.-based VAR.
Where Kaspersky did fall short was in the criteria of Marketing Support, Training and Services opportunities. However, partners say efforts there will likely catch up. "If we were reaching for more straws to do things [in marketing] it would be different, but I don't think that we're utilizing everything that they do have," Howe said. "Next year at this time, I hope to be singing a different song."
