Cyber security vendors spend – or should spend – a lot of time thinking about their partners’ customers.
How are the security and business needs of these customers evolving? How do they want to find, buy, and use security products? What needs to change to make this happen?
This kind of insight enables vendors to develop and adapt their products, services, and partner support programs to ensure partners are well placed to seize the opportunities of this evolving customer landscape.
Jason Beal is Vice President, Worldwide Partner Ecosystems at Barracuda, leading global channel strategy and development with a strong focus on driving growth across the Barracuda global partner ecosystem. He brings more than 20 years of channel leadership experience, with a focus on channel ecosystem launch, and development and expansion in cybersecurity businesses.
Their customers worldwide are often in a very similar place; they are trying to gain control over an ever-growing range and volume of cyber threats, at a time when they are also facing competing demands for resources from elsewhere in the business as well as a growing shortage of cyber security talent and skills.
In fact the worldwide cyber security workforce gap has just hit an all-time high of 4 million, including more than 74,000 in the UK.
Companies are increasingly looking for partners who can provide more than a product-in-a-box – such as a wide array of consultative and technical services to ensure on-going security efficacy and compliance with the latest security requirements.
Companies need partners that offer the skills and resources to complement and strengthen their in-house capability – including such things as access to 24/7 threat monitoring and response, for example.
They need security products that can be consumed as a stand-alone or as-a-service, or both – to protect assets that are on premises, in the cloud, or both.
And they want to buy through a security solution provider, a managed service provider or from a cloud marketplace, or all three. And to have all of this with flexible consumption models and predictable pricing.
In short, they want options and the power of choice.
This requires channel partners to become agile, to be able to turn quickly, adapt and move at speed in multiple directions. Partners that can deliver this agility will have an important competitive differentiator and not only build stronger relationships with their customers, but also open the door to new business opportunities.
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For partners that can respond to changing needs, there are significant opportunities. Despite economic uncertainty, demand for cyber security is high with security and risk management spending estimated to be increasing by 14.3% into next year to hit a global total of $215 billion.
A separate report shows that growth in managed services is projected to surpass growth in overall IT spending, fueled by cyber security demand.
Agility will be key to capitalizing on this, and it means shifting away from a more traditional product-led approach to a more value-centric partnership.
This, in turn, helps customers deal with strategic IT security decisions and to streamline more complex security stacks.
How vendors can help partners
All this means that the relationship between partners and vendors is more important than ever.
Vendors have a responsibility to provide an ecosystem that supports partner agility and to invest in partner enablement, enabling them to customize their services, along with the tools, resources, and the insights they need to help them excel in a value-driven market landscape.
This support could range from self-service resource portals with product and marketing material, to scheduled collaboration days and partner summits that will give channel and vendor teams the chance to work together and exchange ideas.
It's about nurturing a collaborative culture that encourages continuous learning within fast evolving market dynamics.
Everyone benefits
Providing the power of choice is not just a business strategy, it’s an ethos that can change the way partners and vendors operate.
Everyone stands to gain when channel partners are equipped with the flexibility to adapt to diverse buyer needs. Customers benefit from tailored solutions, partners thrive in a cooperative ecosystem, and vendors enjoy sustained engagement.
These are the real business benefits that underscore how a value-centric approach, where choice and agility are key, can drive shared success.
