SPI Dynamics Rolls Out Channel Program

The program is designed for security-focused solution providers as well as those that want to expand into security, said Brian Cohen, president and CEO of Atlanta-based SPI, which makes Web application vulnerability software called WebInspect.

"There are a lot of folks in the channel who want to provide security services and security products. Many are qualified and many are not. We put together a program that will allow them to be qualified," he said.

The program provides one day of sales training and ongoing Webinars, as well as two days of technical training for WebInspect certification. The sales training is free, while the technical training costs about $2,000.

Other benefits include a dedicated sales representative and engineer, lead generation, access to a trial version of WebInspect, access to an online resource center, co-marketing and co-sales support, discounts and listing on the vendor's Web site.

Partners resell WebInspect but also use it as a tool to build services offerings around, Cohen said. Currently, about half of SPI's business goes through the channel, and the company said it hopes to increase that to two-thirds or three-quarters by the end of the year. The vendor counts some 35 partners in the United States.

Cyberattacks are increasingly targeting Web application vulnerabilities, making Web application assessment a much-needed addition to traditional network security, Cohen said.

Steve Keefe, senior vice president at Patriot Technologies, a security solution provider in Frederick, Md., said SPI's partner program will create a lot of opportunities for the channel. Patriot uses WebInspect in its assessment services.

"They are definitely on the right track," he said.

Some of the key components that differentiate SPI's program from other channel programs--including those of big-name security vendors--are the dedicated sales representative and engineer and training, Keefe said.

"Other companies forget about training," he said.

WebInspect can be used to test the integrity of code before it goes live on the Web, so businesses won't find out about vulnerabilities after a Web site is defaced, Keefe said.