SonicWall Ups The Ante

SonicWall CEO Matt Medeiros, who took the helm two months ago, said the Sunnyvale-based company is raising the certification bar for solution providers and mulling adjustments to its volume discount structure. Also planned for the second half is a new product blitz that would update half of SonicWall's product portfolio, Medeiros said. Offerings slated to be introduced next month include ViewPoint 2.0, a new Content Filtering Service solution and a new version of the Global Management System (GMS).

Medeiros said he aims to hike software subscription and support revenue to 20 percent of sales, up from the current single-digit percentage. Though plans haven't been finalized, "it is safe to say that what we want to do is no longer look at our Gold VARs solely from the sense of volume sales," Medeiros said. "That's important, but it's not the only metric. We want people that want to service their customers."

SonicWall Gold VARs now must have one Certified SonicWall Sales Expert, two Certified SonicWall Security Administrators and one certified GMS expert on staff. "We need more fully trained sales technicians out in the field," said Medeiros. "Our business model is moving to this higher-service, higher-touch [approach] to the customer. We have to have VARs and a channel that supports that environment."

Partners applauded the changes. "All in all, I'm encouraged. I like the direction. I'm happy with their road map. I like the changes in management structure," said Mike Chaput, president and CEO of PCSNetworks, Emeryville, Calif.

Solution providers cited SonicWall's recently released SOHO TZW wireless firewall/VPN appliance as an example of its renewed focus on innovation. "What it shows is that they're trying to think of ways to bring out products that others don't already have," said Rich Forsen, president of ForSense Solutions, Herndon, Va.