VARs say that when it comes to finding a reason to veer off the beaten Cisco track, significantly higher margins are ultimately one of the most compelling factors.
"Cisco has their tiers. Unless you're a big dog, you don't get a price break," said Jay Jensen, president and CEO of JensenIT, a WatchGuard partner. Watchguard's unified threat management system appliances, he said, offer "a better product for a better price point and I make money."
Smaller vendors also can specialize, which often leads to a superior product with a focus on their core competency. VARs say customers have hailed products from Check Point, WatchGuard and Barracuda. Yet while attractive profit margins and innovative technology are compelling reasons for VAR loyalty, they're not the only ones. More and more, VARs say some of the smaller vendors deliver personal touches--quick and responsive support, flexibility, open communication and a strong channel focus.
Mitch Miller, president of Dynamic Computer Solutions, Topeka, Kan., said WatchGuard reps brought pizza and spent several face-to-face hours on multiple evenings training and answering employee questions. "They hung in there and did exactly what they said," Miller said. "The end result--they made a commitment and they stuck to it. That gave us a lot of confidence in what they said."
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- Insider Threats: The Next Frontier for Security Resellers and SMBs
- Complete Security and Your Bottom Line: Sophos, Value and the Channel
- Tough Threats, Tougher Security: How You Can Leverage New Solutions To Combat A “Targeted Attack” Landscape
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