CA eTrusts Channel With Security Line

CA has not set a date for inclusion of its security products in the channel-preferred sales model, but the launch could occur as soon as two months, said George Kafkarkou, senior vice president of worldwide channel operations at CA.

"It could be a couple of months,it could be three months, four months,but the most important aspect, the message I think that's appropriate here, is that [to follow up] the BrightStor storage channel-preferred model we are going to [extend it to] eTrust," Kafkarkou said.

Last April, CA launched a channel-preferred sales model around its BrightStor enterprise storage products and pledged to implement the model throughout other product lines. Under the plan, CA compensates its direct-sales force more for storage deals that include channel partners.

Kafkarkou said he and his team are currently working on a draft of the new plan.

"It's on my desk. I'm tweaking it and looking at it, looking at what's working, and then we'll get it approved," Kafkarkou said.

Sales of CA's security products should increase for partners once the channel-preferred model is implemented, said Michelle Drolet, CEO of Conqwest, a security solution provider in Holliston, Mass.

Conqwest has already successfully worked with CA's direct-sales force on deals that included CA products outside the security line, Drolet said.

"Several direct salespeople have worked with us on a consistent basis, but there are a lot more direct-sales reps that could benefit from our expertise," she said.

In recent months, CA has increased its efforts to recruit partners and educate them on its high-end security lineup, which includes its identity and access management products, solution providers said.

"I've definitely seen a lot of Webcasts oriented toward making partners aware of the challenges and opportunities and how CA's security products can add value for customers," said Dale Aychman, director of business development at Stirling Systems Group, a solution provider based in Boulder, Colo.

CA plans to continue its efforts to improve the integration of its direct and indirect channels, said Kafkarkou.

Since assuming responsibility for CA's worldwide channel efforts in October, Kafkarkou said he has built a team of about 100 inside-sales representatives whose sole function is to cultivate sales opportunities that the channel and direct-sales force can share.

"Their role and responsibility is to deal with our existing customers,to talk to them, to nurture them and to generate opportunities exclusively for our resellers that are executed together with CA's direct-sales executives," he said.