Secureworks CEO Wendy Thomas On Shifting From MSSP To XDR And A ‘Partner-First’ Model

Moving To Partner-First

Secureworks initially launched its current channel program in mid-2020. Since the company had started out in the services business, it had previously focused on direct sales — but following the launch of the channel program, Secureworks had shifted more than half of its new Taegis sales to partner-involved deals over time. “It just made sense” to make the shift to 100-percent channel now, Thomas said. “It was time to make the full transition to partner-first.”

Secureworks has found that “the go-to-market model with partners is incredibly successful and scalable,” she said. “And the most important reason is, customers want to work with their trusted advisors, who may do even more for them than just security. And so it made sense to give our customers the choice around going to market with partners but still have the benefit of all the Secureworks portfolio offerings. And what we have found is that that just opens up market opportunities that we didn’t necessarily have as a direct organization. So it creates scale for our business and really opens up the addressable market for us.”

It also removes channel conflict, Thomas noted. “Partners can feel very confident that there is no conflict. And that’s probably one of the biggest positive pieces of feedback, beyond a very compelling margin profile, very compelling program. A partner like Secureworks is 100 percent committed to go-to-market with them has been extraordinarily well received.”